PTA Chairman Shifts Blame for Internet Issues, Holds Government Responsible
Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman, on Thursday held the government accountable for the ongoing internet issues, claiming it has failed to allocate any funds for improving the country’s telecom infrastructure.
During a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, the PTA Chairman stressed the need for immediate government intervention to tackle Pakistan’s internet infrastructure problems.
He pointed out that no new submarine cables had been installed in the last ten years, which, he said, was because of the lack of investment, which hindered the development of essential “digital highways” for a modern, reliable internet system.
The Chairman revealed that three of the seven submarine cables were damaged last year, causing a five-month disruption in internet services until repairs were completed in October. He also mentioned the theft of telecom equipment during power outages and emphasized that internet service providers depend on the government to lay fiber optic cables and improve connectivity.
He further said, on the topic of social media regulation, the PTA chairman stated that this authority works on guidelines given by the government on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Even though PTA may have the capacity to block and restore the sites whenever necessary, he negated allegations of willfully slowing the services.
Committee Chairman Syed Aminul Haq said, “Mobile internet is not being provided properly and especially along routes like Karachi-Hyderabad, the internet has become poor. No solutions for connectivity in far-flung areas are available.”
The committee discussed surveillance practices by the government. Omar Ayub accused the government of misusing monitoring tools such as VPN registration.
It was further noted that there are $800 million in proceeds from the privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), which have not been recovered from Etisalat since 18 years.
Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima stated that a high-level committee led by the Finance Minister is working on the matter. The committee Chairman asked for the Law Minister and Justice officials to clarify how PTCL’s assets have been managed.
The meeting committed to expanding internet access to 1,000 villages besides filling infrastructure gaps on motorways and in remote areas.
