ISLAMABAD: The federal government will establish a network of state-of-the-art information technology parks across Pakistan, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, amid a mysterious weeks-long Internet slowdown that has affected millions of Pakistanis, adversely hit businesses and drawn nationwide complaints.
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.
But up to 40 percent slower Internet speeds have affected nearly half the country’s 241 million population in the last many weeks, industry insiders say. The telecommunications authority has attributed the slowdown to damaged underwater cables while IT Minister Shaza Khawaja has blamed a surge in VPN use.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@sha) has said IT businesses, apart from reputational damage, have suffered losses of at least $300 million due to the recent Internet disruptions.
“The initiative is aimed at providing young professionals with a launching pad to execute their innovative ideas and contribute to the national economy,” Radio Pakistan reported on Monday on the government’s plans to set up IT parks nationwide. “These parks will generate employment opportunities for IT professionals and exports.”
A technology park provides an environment to enable the localization of various tech-related companies. It is a development that brings together office spaces, residential areas, and retail developments in order to enhance the operations of tech corporations, thereby providing various benefits and economies of scale to each individual business entity.
The government’s plans to set up IT parks have been announced amid widespread reports Islamabad is implementing an Internet firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms.
The government has already blocked access to social media platform X since the February general elections in which incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan won the most seats despite a crackdown and ban on his party. The government said the blocking was to stop anti-state activities and a failure by X to adhere to local Pakistani laws. However, rights activists say blocking X as well as other measures are designed to stifle critical voices and democratic accountability in the country.
Global rights watchdog Amnesty International has 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.
“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 last week.
Pakistan has 110 million Internet users.
