Sharks bayqasoor hain; PTA chairman says fault in submarine cables disrupting internet

After facing heavy criticism from the public and IT sector over frequent internet outages, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has finally addressed the issue, attributing it to a “fault in the undersea submarine cable.”

PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman, during a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT, said, “The Submarine Consortium has informed us that internet services are disrupted due to a fault in the submarine cable, which will be fixed by August 27.”

He further mentioned that Pakistan is connected by seven fibre optic cables, one of which is currently damaged.

IT experts have criticized the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, highlighting the economic impact on freelancers, IT professionals, and the digital economy.

An estimated loss of $300 million has been incurred due to the internet slowdown, while companies and individuals who rely on stable internet connectivity, a vital part of the country’s digital economy, are now “struggling to maintain operations, with the slowdown threatening their very survival.”

However, the government has denied any involvement in the issue. State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja blamed internet users’ virtual private networks (VPNs) for slowing their internet speeds.

While speaking to the media last week, She said, “I can swear that the government of Pakistan did not block the internet or slow it down.”

The internet has not been working properly in Pakistan since last month; even downloading a picture or a voice note on WhatsApp has become a headache.