Pakistan’s Internet Shutdown Causing Huge Losses, Especially for Freelancers, Senate Committee Informed

Islamabad:The ongoing internet shutdown across Pakistan has caused significant distress, especially for freelancers and other professionals dependent on stable internet connections. With slow internet speeds and the blocking of social media platforms, citizens have increasingly turned to VPNs to bypass restrictions. However, the government has now started blocking VPNs as well, allowing only registered VPNs to be used.

In this context, a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications was held today, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan. During the meeting, the Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) briefed the committee on the severe impact of the internet shutdown on the IT sector.

Chairman P@SHA, Sajad Syed, revealed that the country is losing around 1.3 billion rupees daily due to the internet shutdown. He added that the slow internet speeds are particularly affecting freelancers, who rely heavily on fast and stable connections. Although the IT industry is growing at a rate of 30%, a single hour of internet disruption results in a loss of approximately 910,000 dollars.

The Secretary of IT informed the committee that the internet slowdowns or shutdowns are implemented on government orders for national security reasons. Regarding VPN registration, PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman shared that as of now, 30,974 individuals have been registered for VPN usage.

Senator Anusha Rehman raised concerns about the impact of VPN registration on internet services. In response, PTA Chairman clarified that VPN registration does not directly affect internet speeds, and the overall slowdown is unrelated to the VPN process. He explained that internet services are being disrupted for national security reasons and that the government has proposed local registration of VPNs. He also stated that from January 2025, the PTA would begin issuing VPN licenses.

Rehman further assured the committee that VPN licensing starting in January would resolve the ongoing internet issues, as the PTA’s licensing process is expected to streamline and stabilize internet services across the country.