Islamabad: The experimental deployment of the firewall has slowed down social media speeds across the country, according to informed sources. This situation has raised concerns about the future of internet-based businesses in Pakistan.
Officials state that internet traffic and speed will return to normal once the trial phase ends.
The government has allocated over 30 billion rupees from the development budget for acquiring and installing this filtering system.
These funds were allocated to the Ministry of Information Technology, but the project is being managed by another power center, with the Ministry of Information Technology playing a minimal role.
An official mentioned that work on the firewall has been ongoing since January, involving the procurement and installation of the system.
The system is now installed and operational, but it will take a few weeks to transfer control to the relevant authorities.
The PTA recently issued a statement about disruptions to WhatsApp services in Pakistan.
Additionally, there are ongoing discussions about changes in commercialism, social media, and mourning practices.
Another official clarified that while there may be risks to internet-based businesses, the firewall’s primary goal is not to target business or commercial activities.
Instead, it aims to control social media influencers who are allegedly spreading fake news, by hiding or blocking their content.
The Electronic Crimes Prevention Act 2016 already addresses these issues, and courts are being established to handle cases under this law.
As the firewall undergoes trial, the PTA recently advertised tenders for the procurement, installation, and configuration of next-generation firewalls and web application firewalls.
On July 11, a tender was issued for the supply, installation, and configuration of “Next Generation Firewalls (formerly Chinese Brand – LOT A),” and “Web Application Firewall (WAF) [LOT B]” with a five-year hardware warranty and 24/7 support, with a submission deadline of July 26.
However, PTA spokespersons stated that this is a separate firewall project. It is surprising how many funds have been allocated for multiple filters when over 30 billion rupees were set aside for the purchase of the aforementioned equipment.
The tender is aimed at acquiring firewalls specifically for the PTA’s internal IT infrastructure to enhance security at its primary data center and disaster recovery site.
PTA has issued tenders for four next-generation firewalls and two web application firewalls, intended to provide robust, layered security for its internal systems and applications.