Pakistan has been practically without 4G services since Tuesday. According to reports, hours after former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest, the interior ministry gave the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) instructions to shut down mobile broadband services nationwide. On Tuesday at 8 p.m., the 4G network on mobile phones vanished, leaving users without connectivity. How else can this be interpreted than as a means of denying the right to information to millions of people? Such ‘temporary’ internet service shutdowns have been quite common in the nation, without taking into account the possibility that such arbitrary decisions could put life on hold.
Mobile 4G services were suspended just as the public needed internet access the most to make informed commute decisions, among other things. Additionally, there were restrictions on access to social media websites like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Whatever the justification for these actions, it is absurd to suspend internet service in the modern era. Connectivity is crucial at all times, but especially in times of chaos and unrest when people are more anxious due to their fear of the unknown. Thousands of people in the nation also work remotely, and a shaky internet connection severely disrupts their productivity. Food delivery services and ride-hailing apps that depend on the internet suffer significantly, and when their operations stop, the majority of people lose a day’s pay.
Recent reports claim that the PTA declared a day ago that mobile broadband services had been suspended “indefinitely.” If the goal is to block access to social media, this decision demonstrates the government’s ignorance of the internet’s technological environment. The government – in fact, governments all over the world – cannot stop users from taking advantage of the loopholes and wriggling their way out because there are numerous ways for social media users to access blocked websites from the comfort of their homes.
Groups of irate and frustrated employees have been seen walking the streets in response to all of this. However, this does not give the government carte blanche to make choices that worsen the situation for the nation.
It is impossible to verify the magnitude of economic losses brought on by the careless suspension of such services in the absence of trustworthy data. However, given how deeply the internet is ingrained in people’s lives, any disruptions could lead to sizable losses. These restrictions also keep foreign investors from bringing money into Pakistan. There would undoubtedly be protests across the nation, and it was – and still is – the responsibility of law enforcement and the PTI to keep things civil. The political history of Pakistan is rife with incidents of this nature. Party leaders haven’t been sent to prison very often in this game of power and fear-based rule.
