New jersey: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, North America Saturday commemorated the 41st death anniversary of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, an eminent Kas
IT Minister Says At Present Internet Fully Operational; Notes Lack of Investment in Telecom Infrastructure in Past Three Years and Blames PTI Govt
Islamabad: (BY PPF) While accepting that internet users in Pakistan faced challenges, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, on January 17, told the National Assembly that the internet, VPNs, and WhatsApp were “presently” fully operational in the country. The declaration came in response to concerns Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Shazia Marri raised about the suspension of VPN services and issues with mobile app functionalities due to sluggish internet speeds.
During the Question Hour, Marri voiced the challenges faced by IT-dependent businesses, some of which have been compelled to cease operations or move overseas due to the ongoing internet issues. “The government should tell us when the internet problem will be solved,” she asked.
Minister Khawaja responded: “At present, WhatsApp is fully functional, and all VPNs are operational.” She added that efforts are underway to improve the overall internet experience in the country significantly.
Khawaja noted the lack of investment in telecom infrastructure over the past three years and blamed the previous Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) government.
“Unfortunately, our friends [the opposition members] are protesting today. In 2022, when they had left this country at the verge of default, no one was ready to open LCs (letters of credit) and nothing was being imported. All the telecom infrastructure is import-based,” she said. “It was because of the fear of default and because of the IMF fear, we have not been able to make any investment in the telecom infrastructure over the past three years and there has been no FDI (Foreign Direct Investment),” she added.
She expressed hope that improvements in the macroeconomy could be used to improve telecom infrastructure and, in turn, internet availability.
The minister highlighted a 28% growth in Pakistan’s IT services export remittances, which reached approximately $1.86 billion during the first six months of the current financial year.
Khawaja said Pakistan now has seven submarine cables, though one has reached the end of its lifespan. A new cable, Africa2, is expected to become operational within a few months, enhancing the country’s live internet channels. Additionally, the operationalization of the Pakistan-China optic-fiber cable would “soon” enable data flows between the two countries, and plans are underway to connect submarine cables to Central Asian states through Wakhan. The government also plans to add 562 MHz of spectrum, recently vacated through court proceedings, to the existing bandwidth of 274 MHz.
Khawaja reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving connectivity issues, mentioning that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) maintains a 24/7 service center to address and rectify any problems reported swiftly. “My primary duty is to protect and promote the IT industry,” she said, adding that the PTA has been engaging with the freelancers’ association to address concerns raised by the
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On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.