Pakistan’s Internet Problems: Government and Users Clash Over Slow Speeds

An important meeting within the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology in Pakistan was held. The group’s leader, Palwasha Khan, listened to other members complaining about the slow internet in the country. They said this problem is making some online shopping companies leave Pakistan.

According to Senator Afnanullah, even sending pictures or videos over WhatsApp is not possible. Another member, Senator Humayun, was besides himself with anger. He told officials from the PTA and the IT ministry that they have “ruined business activities” in Pakistan.

PTA Claims No Problems Reported

On being asked about the whole issue, the PTA officials said something astonishing. The complaint regarding slow internet speeds in Pakistan was never received, they claimed. The senators got furious over this response.

The IT secretary attempted to explain that the fault perhaps lay at the end of the cell phone networks and not with the home Wi-Fi. It didn’t sit well with the enraged committee members.

Discussion on Firewall Plans Raises More Concerns

The main objective is to discuss plans by the government with respect to the installation of a new firewall that controls what people can view and do on social media. After all, the right PTA officials failed to turn up to explain it, so they had to postpone this discussion.