The government’s economic and public-image woes are compounded by the shutdown of the internet.
Public outrage follows a blackout that was intended to silence critics during political turmoil.
KARACHI: Not only did Pakistan lose Rs2.49 billion when the government blocked access to the internet and social media across the country, but it also sparked widespread outrage among its residents, who saw the move as an assault on their right to free speech.
The lockdown, ordered by the interior ministry in response to violent protests spurred by the detention of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, was devastating to the country’s economy and reputation, and rights groups have warned of lasting repercussions.
Businesses, internet trade, and online education were all severely impacted by the power outage, which lasted for multiple days. The tech sector has also demanded immediate action, citing the threat to economic development and creativity.
This was not the first time the Pakistani government had temporarily disabled internet and cellphone access. Internet censorship has been used in the past to prevent the spread of propaganda or other material deemed harmful to the state. The attack on the freedom of expression and the violation of human rights in a democratic state has been seen as more than just a tactical response to instability.
There has been an international outcry over Pakistan’s information shutdown, with groups demanding that the country’s internet access be restored and that the government respect citizens’ basic liberties.
“freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the rule of law are key to resolving political conflicts,” said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The termination of services was deemed a “human rights violation” by Amnesty International. Under the cover of the internet blackout, the prohibition of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube paves the way for other abuses of human rights. The bans have to go away right now. Amnesty International’s regional campaigner, Rimmel Mohydin, made the following statement.
The already struggling Pakistani economy was severely harmed by the shutdown, particularly its commercial sector. Concerns about the economic consequences have been voiced by business owners, startup founders, and professionals in the tech industry in response to the decision.
The Federal Board of Revenue also suffered a loss of revenue of roughly Rs2 billion due to the disruption of commercial activity, while the Pakistan Software Export Association (PSEA) reported that the IT industry does $12 million in daily business. According to the PSEA, the IT industry lost a total of Rs10 billion in just three days.
An executive at a telecommunications firm claims that mobile broadband services account for almost 60% of their overall income. Therefore, they make almost Rs820,000,000 every single day. About 35% of the money is also given to the government.
This estimate was derived from the approximately Rs500 billion in revenue that telecommunications firms made from cellular services in the prior year. But this is only one sector’s best guess. The country’s economy as a whole stands to suffer tremendously.
Millions of daily wagers, such as delivery riders, ride hailing drivers, and independent contractors, lost money as a result of the outage.
The perception of Pakistan as a risky location for investments and economic activities has also taken a damage. The government’s response has been criticized, with some claiming it has hurt the country’s international position.
The effects of Pakistan’s internet blackout won’t go away anytime soon, especially as the country works to repair its reputation and revive its economy. Finding a happy medium between internet security and the requirement for unrestricted access is a dilemma for governments.
