The second trial of firewall installation has been successfully completed. Social media services will be restored to normal within the next 2-3 days.
Sources from the telecom industry confirm that firewalls have been installed on Internet service providers. Alongside, the mobile internet service signals had also been taken down.
Earlier, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology held a crucial meeting under the chairmanship of Senator Palusha Khan. During this meeting, there was a detailed discussion about the pervasive impact of interrupted internet services across the country.
The Senate Standing Committee on IT has emphatically requested a comprehensive report detailing the damage caused by these slow internet services. Furthermore, they issued a directive to resolve the internet and social media issues within a two-week timeframe.
During the meeting, Senator Humayun Mohmand passionately expressed that businesses are severely suffering due to the sluggish internet and malfunctioning social media apps. ‘You have decimated people’s employment opportunities and hindered potential investments. If this continues, all businesses will inevitably crumble,’ he asserted.
Senator Afnanullah highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, ‘At least 500 million has been lost due to internet slowdowns. The lack of reliable internet service hampers downloading and uploading on social media platforms like WhatsApp, causing numerous e-commerce forums to reconsider their presence here.’
In response, PTA officials defensively noted that they have not received any formal complaints regarding the quality of internet service.
Secretary of IT, Ayesha Humira, pointed a discerning finger at the mobile operators, attributing the sluggish internet service to their faltering networks. She elaborated that the fault lies with the mobile operators’ disrupted service, not the Wi-Fi networks.
Ayesha assuredly mentioned, ‘We are gathering data from these mobile operators and will unveil comprehensive details within two weeks. This issue is temporary; the internet problem will be resolved soon.’
Senator Afnanullah expressed his reservations, stating, ‘Merely halting the internet service doesn’t equate to achieving security.’
The agenda of the Standing Committee on Firewall was postponed. The Standing Committee on Firewall had called for an in-camera briefing.
The PTA was supposed to present the details regarding the firewall in the standing committee today.
Due to the non-availability of PTA officials regarding the firewall, the agenda was postponed.
As these firewalls are being implemented for national security purposes, they will feature deep packet inspection capabilities. It’s worth remembering that those who were hoping for the advent of 5G technology were left disillusioned with 4G, as the country braces for significant internet disruptions. In this current scenario, video streaming feels like a relic of the past, and even photo transfers have begun to reflect a regression to the stone age.
The concerns of domestic users have shifted, and for traders and entrepreneurs, securing deals has transformed into an arduous task, akin to extracting milk from stones.
Reportedly, a ‘Dewar Atish,’ commonly known as a ‘Firewall,’ is being installed on social media platforms to monitor and intercept objectionable and anti-state content, aiming to apprehend those disseminating it.