'Not a solution': IT minister on social media blackout, internet shutdown

Information Technology Minister Syed Amin Ul Haque Tuesday regretted the social media blackout and internet shutdown in the country, saying this is “not a solution” to problems while commenting on the government’s decision to curb mobile data services amid recent violent protests across the country.

“Internet should not be shutdown in any case. I will try my best that internet service is not shut in the near future,” he said, during an interview with Geo Pakistan.

The minister added that internet services were suspended without taking the IT ministry in confidence, as Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is an independent institution. “Since 2017, the PTA is no longer under the Ministry of Information Technology,” he highlighted.

Haque also spoke about the gradual restoration of mobile internet from Friday and informed about his discussion with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the matter.

The government decided to shutdown the internet and restricted access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for an indefinite period to prevent incitement to violence after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested last week from the Islamabad High Court on May 9.

Haque proposed to shutdown the internet in certain areas, as social media, he added, was misused and martyrs’ memorials were desecrated.

He stated that using Virtual Private Network (VPN) is not the solution insisting on the government to be broadminded.

The government, a day earlier, finally restored access to social media platforms — Twitter, YouTube and Facebook — across the country after almost a seven-day suspension.

The IT minister said billions have been lost due to internet services being affected. “IT ministry is against any restriction that hinders progress.”

He lamented the loss incurred to the IT industry in the country as a result of the shutdown. “We will try to facilitate the IT industry.”

Internet services were suspended on the interior ministry’s recommendations. It was among the longest continuous shutdowns in Pakistan with the government suspending communications as a tool to quell unrest.

The suspension resulted in an approximate revenue loss of Rs820 million for telecom operators, reports have suggested, a huge dent to the sector, as the economy remains in a fragile state.