IN the backdrop of the country-wide complaints about slow internet, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has acknowledged that the Government was indeed upgrading its ‘web management system’ to cope with cyber security threats. She, however, said the PTA and other relevant bodies have been asked to submit a report in two weeks on complaints about slow internet connectivity.
Pakistan has a strong presence on the IT map of the world and it is rightly believed that the right kind of policies and incentives could help address the country’s financial woes to a great extent. It is also a fact that the advent of the social media era has thrown challenges for all the Governments around the world, which are struggling to grapple with the menace of fake news and cyber attacks. The Governments are legitimately investing on this security aspect in view of the destabilizing nature of the elements misusing the social media. However, it must also be kept in view that such plans and their implementation, in no way, obstructs Internet connectivity as it has much to do with the booming IT services including deadlines to meet orders from foreign clients. The complaints about slow Internet services are not exaggerated as this has been confirmed by the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) warning that the situation had become so dire that many businesses were considering relocating their operations to other countries. The Senate Committee on IT has also ordered the Ministry to address these complaints but the deadline given by the Committee as well as the Ministry to respond to the issue betrays the sense of urgency. Administrative interference with the Internet services is hurting Pakistan’s reputation as an emerging IT hub and therefore, all complaints should be resolved on a priority basis in a transparent manner.
