Editor
- Submarine Consortium “knowledgeable PTA” about fault in cable.
- One of seven fibre optic cables linked to Pakistan is broken.
- PTA chief tells media firewell is definitely “internet administration system”.
ISLAMABAD: After receiving immense flak from netizens and data know-how sector our bodies over intermittent web disruptions, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has lastly commented on the difficulty linking it with a “fault within the undersea submarine cable”.
“Submarine Consortium has knowledgeable [us] that the web [services] are affected because of a fault within the submarine cable which might be resolved by August 27,” PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman mentioned whereas briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT.
He added that seven fibre optic cables are linked to Pakistan of which one is broken.
The PTA chief’s remarks come within the wake of the prevailing web slowdown and restricted connectivity that specialists and stakeholders have attributed to the purported testing of an web firewall to rein in social media, which is provided with filters to dam undesirable content material from reaching a wider viewers.
Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP), Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and IT specialists have slammed the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led authorities over the difficulty, citing the financial affect on freelancers, IT professionals and the digital financial system usually.
With P@SHA estimating a lack of $300 million loss in mild of current complaints by the companies and the reputational harm, WISPAP Chairman Shahzad Arshad has mentioned that companies and people who depend upon dependable web connectivity which is an important pillar of the nation’s digital financial system have been now “struggling to keep up operations, and the slowdown is threatening their very survival”.
However, the federal government has denied its involvement within the situation with State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja blaming using digital non-public networks (VPN) by web customers as the rationale “their telephones” slowed down.
“I can swear that the federal government of Pakistan didn’t block the web or gradual it down,” she mentioned whereas chatting with the media final week.
‘Firewall permitted in 2019’
During the standing committee’s assembly as we speak, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Amin Ul Haq inquired the PTA chairman concerning the causes behind web disruptions.
“The public needs to be knowledgeable why web service is affected. It needs to be knowledgeable whether or not a firewall is put in or not?” the lawmaker requested, including that the PTA ought to talk the matter with the media in order that the general public is knowledgeable.
Responding to the question, Gen Rehman referred to IT Minister Khawaja’s remarks saying that the explanations behind the prevailing situation have been duly addressed within the minister’s presser and remarked that using VPNs led to the web being down.
Elaborating on the firewall situation, the PTA chief mentioned that the earlier internet administration system (WMS) was renamed and changed with the firewall know-how after its approval in 2019.
“The [internet] firewall system was permitted in March 2019,” he mentioned including that the upgradation of the system had began the identical yr.
When grilled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub relating to firewall set up, the PTA chairman mentioned: “This system was launched throughout your regime.”
Separately, talking with journalists exterior the NA, PTA chief maintained that the firewall — which he termed “internet administration system” — is geared toward controlling gray site visitors.
“There’s no point out of the phrase ‘firewall’. It has been created by you [media]. Who mentioned it is a firewall, it is [actually] internet administration system,” he mentioned.
Furthermore, the PTA head remarked: “How are you able to eradicate propaganda from the firewall? Memes are being shared on social media towards judges and prime minister. If the difficulty might be managed on this manner then we’d’ve closed it.”
‘Social media platforms end-to-end encrypted’
Commenting on privateness considerations relating to firewall, Gen Rehman advised the NA committee that social media platforms have been end-to-end encrypted and there was no know-how to entry encrypted data.
Speaking on the federal government’s choice to whitelist digital non-public networks (VPNs), the PTA chief mentioned VPNs weren’t being banned or shutdown however the truth is the businesses have solely been requested to register themselves.
“VPNs will not be blocked on the earth [as] it impacts companies,” he famous.
When requested by committee members concerning the financial affect of the disruption, Gen Rehman claimed that the telecom sector did not undergo a lot.
Addressing the IT ministry, the NA panel has additionally sought the report on each the financial repercussions of the web disruptions in addition to the technicalities of the firewall within the subsequent assembly.
