KARACHI: Pakistan authorities blamed a mystery months-long Internet slowdown that has drawn backlash from activists and business leaders on damaged underwater cables.
Digital rights experts believe the state is testing a firewall — a security system that monitors network traffic but can also be used to control online spaces.
The government has previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the slowdown whilst also admitting that the country was “undergoing a transition.”
“The ongoing Internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to (a) fault in two of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally,” Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the fault would be repaired by early October.
Internet networks have been up to 40 percent slower than normal since July, according to one IT association, while WhatsApp and VPN connections are severely disrupted.
The government and PTA for weeks refused to comment on the slowdown.
At the start of the month, defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the country was “undergoing a transition.”
He added that “there will be some controls to prevent threatening and defamatory content against the state and individuals.”
IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja later denied that the government was behind the Internet slowdown, blaming it on a surge in VPN use.
It comes as Pakistan’s military — the country’s most powerful institution — says it is battling so-called “digital terrorism.”
Analysts say the main target of the digital disruption is the party of jailed opposition leader Imran Khan, still wildly popular and boosted by a young, tech-savvy voter base.
Global rights watchdog Amnesty International urged Pakistan authorities to be transparent.
“The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down and control Internet speeds is an alarming concern,” said the organization’s technology expert Jurre Van Bergen.
Pakistan is banking on its nascent but growing Information Technology industry to increase its exports and generate critical foreign exchange revenue for a cash-strapped country.
“Without immediate and decisive action, the country risks deeper economic fallout and a prolonged digital divide,” Shahzad Arshad, the chairman of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, said in a statement.
Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables
https://arab.news/2pfzp
Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables
- Government previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the slowdown whilst also admitting that the country was ‘undergoing a transition’
- Digital rights experts believe the state is testing a firewall that monitors network traffic but can also be used to control online spaces
Police in Pakistan’s Karachi say 71 of 75 extortion cases traced as businesses complain of threats
- Builders told provincial authorities this week extortion calls were traced to numbers operating from abroad
- Police say 128 suspects were identified, with 91 arrested and six killed in encounters during investigations
ISLAMABAD: Police in Karachi said on Saturday they traced 71 of 75 confirmed extortion cases this year, arresting 91 suspects and killing six in encounters, amid complaints from businesses about rising threats in Pakistan’s commercial hub.
The disclosure follows recent complaints by builders and developers who told provincial authorities that extortion demands had increased in Karachi, with some calls traced to numbers operating from abroad, prompting assurances of tougher enforcement by the Sindh government.
“In 2025, a total of 171 extortion cases were registered, of which 75 were confirmed as genuine extortion,” police said in a statement. “Of these 75 cases, 71 were traced, representing a 95 percent trace rate.”
According to the report released by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Karachi, the remaining 96 cases initially registered as extortion were later found to be linked to financial disputes, land and plot conflicts, personal matters, fights and other non-extortion-related disagreements.
Police said 128 suspects were identified in the confirmed extortion cases. Of these, six were killed in encounters with the SIU, while 14 others were arrested in injured condition during operations.
A total of 91 suspects were arrested over the course of the year, the statement said, adding that crackdowns against extortion would continue.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most populous city, is the country’s financial and commercial capital, accounting for a significant share of national revenue, trade and industrial activity.
The city has long struggled with crime, political violence and organized criminal networks, with members of the business community repeatedly warning that extortion poses a persistent threat to investment and economic stability.
