According to reliable sources, the suspension of mobile broadband services has had a devastating impact on the economy in Pakistan. Telecom operators have incurred a revenue loss of approximately Rs820 million, while the government has lost around Rs287 million in tax revenue.
The suspension has also caused significant losses for digital app users, such as Careem, InDrive, and FoodPanda, as well as brought digital payments to a halt. The situation has caused widespread inconvenience and hardship for the general public, necessitating the immediate attention of the relevant authorities to resume data services.
Furthermore, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter remained partially or fully suspended on the second day. Jazz CEO, Aamir Ibrahim, expressed his dissatisfaction through a tweet, emphasising that shutting down the internet is not a solution to any problem, but instead, it creates more problems than it solves. He stated that the impact on the economy is quantifiable, but the inconvenience to the people is incalculable.
According to Brecorder, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), strongly criticised the indiscriminate blockage of internet services in Pakistan due to the emergent political situation. He condemned the mindless and consultation-less decision and highlighted that the IT industry has come to a standstill since Tuesday evening.
