ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Secretary for Information Technology has dismissed recent claims circulating on social media and some online platforms suggesting that the government had shut down the national internet “firewall” or web monitoring infrastructure, calling them “baseless” and inaccurate.
Speaking before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom on Thursday, the IT Secretary clarified that neither the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA’s) Web Monitoring System (WMS) nor any firewall-like system has been dismantled or discontinued. Authorities stressed that the systems remain fully operational and continue to be used in line with legal and court directives on online content.
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The clarification came amid widespread speculation ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction. Some social media posts and unverified reports claimed that a shutdown of the firewall was connected to preparations for the March 10 auction. However, officials maintained there is no technical or policy reason to retire internet monitoring infrastructure as part of the rollout.
PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman explained that the colloquially termed “firewall” is essentially the longstanding WMS, which has been in place since 2006 and upgraded periodically to protect Pakistan’s digital boundaries and enforce court orders in accordance with national law.
Government sources emphasised that internet connectivity and services have not been disrupted by this system, and any suggestion to the contrary amounts to misinformation. The committee also reviewed preparations for the 5G auction and related developments in the telecom sector during the session.
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