Lahore High Court Seeks Government Response on Nationwide Internet Disruption Case
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has called for a response from the federal government, the Ministry of Information, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in the ongoing case regarding the suspension of internet services across the country. The court has instructed each party to ensure their representation at the next hearing, which is scheduled for August 21.
Justice Shakeel Ahmed presided over the hearing on August 16, which centers on a petition filed by Advocate Nadeem Sarwar. The petition challenges the widespread internet disruptions, claiming that they violate fundamental rights and have had a severe impact on businesses and daily life across Pakistan. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the state counsel’s lack of preparedness and understanding of the issue.
During the hearing, the state counsel, Rana Nauman, requested additional time to submit a detailed report on the internet outages, arguing that consultation with the PTA was necessary to determine the reasons behind the disruptions. However, Justice Ahmed criticized the government’s lack of seriousness, highlighting the critical public interest nature of the case.
The petition filed by Sarwar on August 15 argues that the federal government and the PTA have disrupted mobile internet services and social media applications nationwide without providing any prior notice or explanation. The petition claims that the internet shutdown is hampering businesses, affecting all spheres of life, and constitutes a violation of basic rights. It calls for the court to declare the government’s decision to slow down the internet null and void and to order the immediate and complete restoration of internet services across the country.
The government has attributed the issue to the testing of an internet firewall, a cybersecurity measure aimed at filtering unwanted content. Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, explained that the firewall is part of an upgrade to the country’s web management system to address evolving cybersecurity threats. She assured that the government is not in favor of slowing down the internet and is working towards upgrading the network to 5G.
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