Pakistan's government has blamed the widespread use of VPNs in the country as the reason for people experiencing slow internet connection for weeks.
Dismissing the claims that the government was behind the slowdown, the Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima said that her team is "working tirelessly " with internet service providers and telcos to address the issue.
According to BBC, Fatima said that a large population of Pakistan have been using VPNs and “this strained the network, causing the internet to go slow”.
She also said that the country is building a robust cyber security system to protect the country from cyber attacks. “It is the right of the government to [take such measures] given the cybersecurity attacks that this country has to go through,” she reportedly said.
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The development comes after activists in Pakistan alleged that the country's government is building a China-style firewall to surveil the internet space.
Expressing concerns, the activists stated that the firewall will monitor online traffic and limit the dissemination of information curtailing political freedom.
The shutting down of the internet connection is a familiar story not only in Pakistan but across countries of South Asia.
When Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted from his position in 2022, demonstrations and protests in Pakistan against government's action turned violent. The government blocked all social media platforms and disrupted the internet speed to curb the dissent.
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The social media platform X has been blocked since February elections because of national concerns and many are using VPNs to access the platform.
Many activists have filed a petition before the Pakistan’s apex curt demanding that access to internet be declared a fundamental right under the country’s constitution.
It is also said that the current internet crisis could also sound a disastrous spell for the country’ business operations
