ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday summoned representatives from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and the Ministry of Information Technology on August 26 to respond to senior journalist and television anchor Hamid Mir’s petition regarding the countrywide Internet slowdown amid the installation of a national firewall.
According to the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, nationwide Internet speeds have dropped by 30-40 percent in the last few weeks as the government operationalizes the firewall intended to filter undesired content, such as “anti-state propaganda.”
Pakistan’s State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja rejected reports over the weekend that the government was responsible for slowing or shutting down the Internet in the country, attributing it instead to the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs) amid the ban on social media platform X.
Mir filed his petition through Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari on Friday, describing the frequent network disruptions in recent weeks as a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights, while challenging the government’s denial of its contribution to the situation.
“During today’s hearing, the chief justice issued notices to PTA and the IT ministry for the next hearing on August 26 and asked why the Internet is slow and what is the firewall,” Mir told Arab News.
He said the IHC registrar initially raised some objections to his petition, but Chief Justice Aamer Farooq overruled them and scheduled the case for a hearing on Tuesday.
Mir noted in his petition he was aggrieved by the government’s conduct, which had caused him and his colleagues significant difficulties in performing their duties as professional journalists, heavily reliant on online connectivity and communication.
He maintained that young people, particularly students, were also facing substantial challenges.
Speaking to Arab News, the president of the Pakistan Freelancers Association said last week the businesses of over 2.3 million Pakistani freelance workers had suffered due to the slow Internet.
After Tuesday’s hearing, Mir’s lawyer informed the court was fully aware of the Internet disruption affecting the entire country.
“The honorable court inquired about the reasons behind the disruption and sought the government’s stance on the issue,” Mazari said, adding the additional attorney general was unable to provide a satisfactory response, saying he did not use the Internet frequently and was unaware of the situation.
She added that the chief justice observed the Internet disruption in Pakistan was a matter of common knowledge before summoning representatives from the PTA and IT ministry for the next hearing on August 26.
Asked about the state minister for information technology’s assertion regarding the Internet slowdown, Mazari said it was factually incorrect that it was caused by VPN use.
Arab News reached out to the PTA and the Ministry of IT for their comments, but they did not respond by the time this story was filed.
Pakistan court seeks government response over Internet slowdown amid national firewall controversy
https://arab.news/6dtny
Pakistan court seeks government response over Internet slowdown amid national firewall controversy
- Islamabad High Court takes up journalist Hamid Mir’s petition, summons relevant authorities for Aug. 26 hearing
- Government has denied responsibility for network disruptions, attributing it instead to the widespread use of VPN
Sindh assembly passes resolution rejecting move to separate Karachi
- Chief Minister Shah cites constitutional safeguards against altering provincial boundaries
- Calls to separate Karachi intensified amid governance concerns after a mall fire last month
ISLAMABAD: The provincial assembly of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Saturday passed a resolution rejecting any move to separate Karachi, declaring its territorial integrity “non-negotiable” amid political calls to carve the city out as a separate administrative unit.
The resolution comes after fresh demands by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other voices to grant Karachi provincial or federal status following governance challenges highlighted by the deadly Gul Plaza fire earlier this year that killed 80 people.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most densely populated city, is the country’s main commercial hub and contributes a significant share to the national economy.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah tabled the resolution in the assembly, condemning what he described as “divisive statements” about breaking up Sindh or detaching Karachi.
“The province that played a foundational role in the creation of Pakistan cannot allow the fragmentation of its own historic homeland,” Shah told lawmakers, adding that any attempt to divide Sindh or separate Karachi was contrary to the constitution and democratic norms.
Citing Article 239 of Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of not less than two-thirds of a provincial assembly to alter provincial boundaries, Shah said any such move could not proceed without the assembly’s approval.
“If any such move is attempted, it is this Assembly — by a two-thirds majority — that will decide,” he said.
The resolution reaffirmed that Karachi would “forever remain” an integral part of Sindh and directed the provincial government to forward the motion to the president, prime minister and parliamentary leadership for record.
Shah said the resolution was not aimed at anyone but referred to the shifting stance of MQM in the debate while warning that opposing the resolution would amount to supporting the division of Sindh.
The party has been a major political force in Karachi with a significant vote bank in the city and has frequently criticized Shah’s provincial administration over its governance of Pakistan’s largest metropolis.
Taha Ahmed Khan, a senior MQM leader, acknowledged that his party had “presented its demand openly on television channels with clear and logical arguments” to separate Karachi from Sindh.
“It is a purely constitutional debate,” he told Arab News by phone. “We are aware that the Pakistan Peoples Party, which rules the province, holds a two-thirds majority and that a new province cannot be created at this stage. But that does not mean new provinces can never be formed.”
Calls to alter Karachi’s status have periodically surfaced amid longstanding complaints over governance, infrastructure and administrative control in the megacity, though no formal proposal to redraw provincial boundaries has been introduced at the federal level.
