By AFP
November 27, 2024
Copyright AFP Aamir QURESHI
Shrouq TARIQ, Juliette MANSOUR
Besieged by political turmoil, Pakistan’s government is turning to draconian internet censorship which threatens to cut the country off from a promising future, experts and citizens say.
Social media site X has been down since February, internet outages are becoming more common and severe, and web tools used to evade state censorship will soon be banned for personal use.
Analysts say the measures are ramping up as Islamabad is being challenged by supporters of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, who commands the loyalty of legions of young and web-savvy Pakistanis.
Khan was barred from standing in February polls which his followers say were rigged, and they have defied a crackdown both online and offline to stage unruly protests calling for his release.
During clashes in the capital this week between security forces and over 10,000 Khan supporters, authorities blocked mobile data in much of the city and also severed home internet in some areas, citing security fears.
“Censorship and surveillance we are seeing right now in Pakistan is unprecedented and very sophisticated,” said Pakistani digital rights activist Usama Khilji.
“It’s creating frustration in society,” he told AFP
– ‘Wasting time’ –
Mobile internet outages have become common fixtures during protests by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party since he was ousted in 2022, but a home internet cut off is far more unusual.
The Interior Ministry said the measure was taken in the capital “only in areas with security concerns”.
Shahzad Arshad, head of the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, told AFP the measure was taken because “residents had opened their wifi” to demonstrators on previous marches.
But without a connection, Muhammad Fahim Khan, an assistant professor, said he suffered a double lockdown — unable either to reach his university in person or to teach remotely.
“Ongoing projects come to a halt due to internet outages,” the 37-year-old said. “Productivity and the quality of life have been quite ruined.”
Last year Pakistan was on the brink of default, saved only by bailouts from abroad, and the new government has touted tech as a potential economic lifeline for its recovery.
But student and blogger Khadija Rizvi said internet cuts “undeniably worse than ever before” have left her disillusioned about her prospects.
“The persistent internet outages have rendered it impossible to make any meaningful progress,” the 25-year-old said. “This internet shutdown feels like a complete waste of valuable time and potential.”
Thousands of food delivery drivers who scrape a living using online apps were also left without work during the capital protests, which subsided early on Wednesday.
– ‘Assistance in sin’ –
Islamabad is a city of just one million, but the other 240 million people in Pakistan have also suffered a grinding internet slowdown since August.
Digital analysts say the government has been testing a “firewall” that monitors some platforms and gives the power to block content, like photos or videos of rallies shared on WhatsApp.
Social media site X went dark after allegations of vote tampering circulated following elections, but government officials including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continue to post there.
Many Pakistanis used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) — tools masking the location where they are logging on — in order to circumvent restrictions.
VPNs are also vital for many online freelancers signing in to client networks abroad to earn a living virtually in professions like tech support or software development.
Nearly 2.4 million people work this way, according to the Pakistan Freelancers Association.
But this month the government’s Council of Islamic Ideology, which checks whether laws comply with religious teachings, declared them non-halal.
The chief cleric said they could be used as an “assistance in sin” to access sites with pornography or blasphemous content, both banned in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has said starting from December 1 all VPNs must be registered or blocked, and that only commercial use will be allowed.
Freelancers have been cleared to apply, but they must have the backing of an employer and provide their personal data to the state, increasing the potential for surveillance according to experts.
“Pakistan is working to strengthen its digital economy while simultaneously taking draconian steps to police online content,” said Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute director at The Wilson Center.
“This is a textbook case of shooting yourself in the foot. Both feet in fact.”
Policing the internet
DAWN
Editorial
IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech that came with it — has descended into echoing the darkest chapters of authoritarian history. The escalating digital clampdown, including the planned blocking of non-commercial VPNs by Nov 30 and the deployment of a China-inspired ‘national firewall’, signals this disturbing descent. Of late, WhatsApp outages preventing messages, images, and videos from being sent have added to the chaos, affecting millions of users. X, Instagram and TikTok were affected long before. The government claims these measures will combat illegal content, obscenity, and ‘digital terrorism’, but its underlying motivations appear far more politically charged. The timing of these moves usually coincides with heightened political tensions, particularly protests by supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan. The ‘firewall’ — or the Web Management System — reportedly equipped with intrusive Deep Packet Inspection technology, enables granular monitoring of internet activity and selective blocking of content. While officials frame this as a tool to safeguard national security, critics argue it is aimed at silencing dissent and controlling narratives. In a political climate where mainstream media is far from free, social media has become a critical outlet for public expression.
The ramifications are profound. Pakistan’s thriving IT sector, growing at 30pc annually, is under severe threat. Industry leaders warn that the VPN ban risks alienating Fortune 500 clients, causing massive financial and reputational losses, and forcing companies to relocate. Freelancers and small business owners, who rely on uninterrupted connectivity for global contracts, are already struggling due to frequent internet throttling. This is no way to achieve the ambitious target of raising IT exports to $25bn. Moreover, the deployment of the firewall, lacking transparency and legal safeguards, undermines user privacy and has already slowed internet speeds due to its intrusive ‘in-line’ monitoring. These measures mimic the worst elements of dictatorships, where controlling dissent takes precedence over economic and civil liberties. Instead of emulating restrictive models, the government must focus on addressing public grievances and restoring democratic freedoms. Stakeholder engagement, transparent regulations, and targeted approaches to national security concerns are essential. Suppressing dissent through draconian measures will only deepen public distrust, isolate Pakistan in the global digital economy, and fuel further unrest. Freedom and progress, not fear and control, must guide our digital future.
Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024
Editorial
November 27, 2024
IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech that came with it — has descended into echoing the darkest chapters of authoritarian history. The escalating digital clampdown, including the planned blocking of non-commercial VPNs by Nov 30 and the deployment of a China-inspired ‘national firewall’, signals this disturbing descent. Of late, WhatsApp outages preventing messages, images, and videos from being sent have added to the chaos, affecting millions of users. X, Instagram and TikTok were affected long before. The government claims these measures will combat illegal content, obscenity, and ‘digital terrorism’, but its underlying motivations appear far more politically charged. The timing of these moves usually coincides with heightened political tensions, particularly protests by supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan. The ‘firewall’ — or the Web Management System — reportedly equipped with intrusive Deep Packet Inspection technology, enables granular monitoring of internet activity and selective blocking of content. While officials frame this as a tool to safeguard national security, critics argue it is aimed at silencing dissent and controlling narratives. In a political climate where mainstream media is far from free, social media has become a critical outlet for public expression.
The ramifications are profound. Pakistan’s thriving IT sector, growing at 30pc annually, is under severe threat. Industry leaders warn that the VPN ban risks alienating Fortune 500 clients, causing massive financial and reputational losses, and forcing companies to relocate. Freelancers and small business owners, who rely on uninterrupted connectivity for global contracts, are already struggling due to frequent internet throttling. This is no way to achieve the ambitious target of raising IT exports to $25bn. Moreover, the deployment of the firewall, lacking transparency and legal safeguards, undermines user privacy and has already slowed internet speeds due to its intrusive ‘in-line’ monitoring. These measures mimic the worst elements of dictatorships, where controlling dissent takes precedence over economic and civil liberties. Instead of emulating restrictive models, the government must focus on addressing public grievances and restoring democratic freedoms. Stakeholder engagement, transparent regulations, and targeted approaches to national security concerns are essential. Suppressing dissent through draconian measures will only deepen public distrust, isolate Pakistan in the global digital economy, and fuel further unrest. Freedom and progress, not fear and control, must guide our digital future.
Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024
No comments:
Post a Comment