ISLAMABAD – Pakistanis are facing difficulties in communicating on WhatsApp as internet and data services have slowed down, and amid this dilemma, documents indicate that the decision to establish firewall was made during PTI government.
These documents reference a meeting held at PM Office regarding the national firewall system. A letter, dated November 4, 2020, was sent to the Secretary of Information Technology, confirming that a discussion on the National Firewall System took place on October 22, 2020.
It directed IT ministry to present plan for approval to the relevant authorities and to explore different implementation options, including feedback from stakeholders. The letter further stated that the firewall should be developed and implemented, along with a national social media application similar to Chinese instant messaging app WeChat.
As millions are looking at government amid slow internet services and disruption on social media, State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja denied that the government had deliberately slowed down the internet.
Minister explained that the government had not shut down or restricted internet access, and that widespread use of VPNs, particularly for downloading, was placing strain on the internet, leading to slowdowns.
She linked recent internet disruptions to several causes, lasting only a day or two.
