ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez Rehman stated that the internet services are affected in the country due to a fault in the submarine cable.
He revealed it while briefing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology on the disruption of internet services and social media services in the country. The meeting was chaired by Syed Aminul Haque.
The PTA chairman said the marine cable will be repaired by August 27.
He said the submarine consortium had informed that a fault in the submarine cable was causing the internet issues. Out of the 7 fiber optic cables that come to Pakistan, one is malfunctioning, and it is expected to be fixed by August 27.
He highlighted that in this situation, the use of VPNs has led to local internet outages in Pakistan.
He also told the committee that a web management system was in place since 2006, and a firewall system was approved in March 2019, with upgrades starting the same year.
This system is known by various names, but it is referred to as the web management system by the PTA, he added.
During the meeting, Syed Amin-ul-Haq asked why the internet service was being affected and whether a firewall was in place or not. He suggested that the media should be informed by PTA to keep the public updated.
The PTA Chairman replied that the federal government had instructed that a firewall be installed, and PTA is implementing on it.
It is unclear if the firewall is causing the system slowdown, he said, adding that the federal government can provide a complete clarification on this matter.
He rubbished the rumours of blocking VPNs in the country, saying they cannot be shut down.
Subsequently, the committee decided to request a technical briefing from the Secretary of IT on the firewall at the next meeting.
Mobile data, social media apps start restoring in Pakistan as firewall installed
