Islamabad: Chairman of PTA Major General (retd) Hafiz Rehman stated that a fault in the submarine cable is causing disruptions in internet services across the country.
According to media, a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Syed Aminul Haq, was held.
The meeting was attended by IT Minister Shazia Fatiema, PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafiz Rehman, opposition leader Umar Ayub, Barrister Gohar, Mustafa Kamal, and others.
The Chairman of the committee, Syed Aminul Haq, had taken notice of the disruption in internet services and the suspension of social media services and had summoned the PTA Chairman to brief the committee.
The Chairman of the committee expressed displeasure over the absence of the PTCL President at the meeting, stating that they had also taken time off from their work to attend the session and felt their presence was not being valued.
Umar Ayub mentioned that he had a court appearance scheduled and could be arrested at any moment, but he had prioritized attending the meeting due to its national significance.
Members of the committee requested that an explanation be obtained as to why the PTCL President or CEO did not attend the meeting.
The Chairman of the committee, Syed Aminul Haq, summoned the PTCL CEO or Chairman for the next meeting and asked them to come prepared with an explanation for their absence.
The committee also expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the SCO chief, General Omar Ahmad Shah, from the meeting. The DG SCO stated that General Omar Shah was occupied at GHQ.
Syed Aminul Haq emphasized that such behavior was unacceptable and that the forum should be given due importance.
Consequently, the agenda for the SCO briefing was postponed. Aminul Haq stressed that attendance in future meetings should be ensured.
Chairman PTA Major General (retd) Hafiz Rehman briefed the committee on the disruptions to internet services and social media services.
Syed Aminul Haq inquired about the reasons for the internet service disruptions and whether firewalls were in place. He asked the PTA to keep the media informed to ensure public awareness.
Major General (retd) Hafiz Rehman explained that the Minister of State had previously held a press conference outlining several reasons for the disruption.
He stated that 7.5 terabytes of data arrive from one cable to Pakistan. The submarine consortium has reported a fault in the submarine cable, affecting internet services.
One of the seven fiber optic cables coming to Pakistan is faulty, but it is expected to be repaired by August 27. The disruption has led to increased use of VPNs locally.
A committee member questioned why there was a need for VPNs. Chairman PTA replied that data not available on CDNs can be accessed via VPNs.
Barrister Ali Gohar asked if submarine cables were affected in other countries as well or just Pakistan’s. Chairman PTA confirmed that only Pakistan’s submarine cable was affected.
A committee member asked if VPN use was illegal. Chairman PTA admitted lack of knowledge about the law and called for the relevant legal officer.
Mustafa Kamal asked about the extent of the damage caused by the breakdown and whether PTA had any estimates. Ali Qasim Gillani inquired about the losses incurred by freelancers. Other committee members also questioned Chairman PTA extensively.
Chairman PTA reported that the telecom sector suffered a loss of 300 million rupees over six days. A committee was formed with CEOs from Jazz, Zong, and other companies to assess the situation, which concluded that no systemic issues were found.
Article 19 provides for freedom of expression, but it includes 5 or 6 categories for implementation. Different countries have their own systems to address issues. When the government mandates that certain content should not be on the internet, they must find ways to comply.
Chairman PTA stated that they act on directives from the federal government, the Ministry of Interior, or the courts.
Complaints are compared to legal standards, and removal instructions are issued accordingly. They have blocked 97,000 websites containing pornography.
He mentioned that a web management system was in place in 2006 and that the firewall system was approved in March 2019.
The system was upgraded from the Web Management System (WMS) to the National Firewall System.
Umar Ayub questioned the necessity of this system given the situation in countries like India, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Uganda.
He asked how the web management or firewall system impacts social media accounts and content, and if intelligence agencies have the capability to block content independently.
Chairman PTA responded that the system was introduced during the previous administration.
A committee member asked if cabinet minutes were available. Chairman PTA said they were likely with the Ministry of IT. A letter from October 2020 directed implementation, and he would follow any orders from the government.
The meeting also saw a heated exchange between Umar Ayub and a member of the committee from the ruling party, discussing surveillance and the role of telephone tapping for national security.
Chairman PTA confirmed that the block on the social media platform X was done on the Ministry of Interior’s instructions.
Chairman PTA also clarified that no new internet monitoring system was being introduced; rather, the existing WMS was being upgraded. He noted that VPNs are not being blocked but are only being asked to register.
Syed Aminul Haq requested that the IT sector, telecom sector, and industry provide details of the damages in the next meeting.
A committee member asked for an estimate of the losses due to VPN disruptions, which the public is not accepting as satisfactory. The IT Ministry was asked to present a full estimate of damages in the next meeting.
Junaid Imam from the IT Ministry informed the committee that a significant portion of the IT sector’s losses is undocumented and includes freelancers. Last year, IT exports amounted to $3.2 billion.
Chairman PTA assured that there was no new internet monitoring system, just an upgrade to the existing WMS, which is referred to by various names.
He emphasized that VPNs are not being banned but are only required to be registered.
Syed Aminul Haq asked for a detailed report on the damages to the IT and telecom sectors in the next meeting.