Increase in use of VPNs due to slow internet speed: Pakistan’s Minister of State for IT
Last Updated on August 19, 2024 9:40 am
In the name of suppressing terrorist and separatist activities, people have erupted in protest against human rights violations by the army and law enforcement forces in the southwestern province of Balochistan. Recently, there have been massive protests in the province involving millions of people. Protests are intensifying demanding the release of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Internet speed has been slowed down. Human rights activists and business leaders have expressed concern over the issue. Businessmen fear that the fragile economy will lead to more crisis. The matter has already reached the court.
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja finally opened up about this on Sunday. He claims that the slow internet speed is due to excessive use of Virtual Private Network (VPN).
At a press conference in the capital Islamabad, State Minister Fatima Khawaja said, “I can swear that the government of Pakistan has not slowed down the Internet speed.” The government has tried to figure out the problem by talking to experts.
He said some applications were not downloading. So people used VPN. Turning on VPN slows down the phone. The minister made the claim after millions of people across the country faced problems accessing the internet due to limited connectivity, especially when using mobile data in some areas.
Some experts and the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) have attributed the problem to the deployment of firewalls for added security and surveillance to control various content on the Internet.
Earlier this week, Khawaja defended the decision to implement an Internet firewall, saying it was something “every country in the world is doing” for cyber security. He said that cyber security attacks are being carried out in different countries of the world including Pakistan. More capabilities are needed to protect against cyber security threats.
The minister said that he is in touch with the IT authority regarding the internet. There will be a meeting about the Internet next week as well. Revealing the government’s efforts to address the issue, Khawaja said four more internet cables are being laid in Pakistan to increase internet connectivity.
It is to be noted that the internet speed has been greatly reduced in Pakistan, even some areas have been completely cut off from the internet. The country’s media say that this situation has been going on since last Wednesday.