Internet service disrupted across Pakistan

Amid already-existing concerns of internet service disruptions, citizens in various cities of Pakistan faced internet connectivity issues on Thursday (August 15), Dawn online reported.

The outage comes just a day after a body of internet service providers (ISPs) alleged that the government’s heightened efforts to monitor internet traffic had resulted in a significant nationwide slowdown of services.

The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap) said internet speeds over the past few weeks plummeted by 30 to 40 per cent and warned that the situation had become so dire that many businesses were considering relocating their operations to other countries.

Major online platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp have been hit hard since last week with users reporting slowdowns and difficulties in accessing messaging and social media applications.

Some users have speculated that the disruptions were the result of a firewall being installed by the government to monitor and keep check on users.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had denied that the issue was caused by a firewall.