Internet disruption: LHC directs govt, PTA to submit response on next hearing

LHC adjourns hearing against internet shutdown till August 21.
Court directs parties to ensure their representatives' appearance.
Govt defends internet firewall, terms it  "cybersecurity measure".
Amid intermittent internet disruptions troubling netizens all across the country, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday directed the federal government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit their response on the matter.  

LHC's Justice Shakil Ahmad, while hearing a petition filed by a citizen named Noman Sarwar against the nationwide internet "shutdown", announced the reserved verdict today. 

Justice Ahmad ordered all the parties to the case to ensure their representatives' appearance and submit their responses on the next hearing of the case due on August 21.

The development comes as millions across the country continue to face trouble accessing internet services due to limited connectivity, particularly while using mobile data in some regions.

The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led administration has attributed the issue to the purported testing of an internet firewall to rein in social media which is equipped with filters that will block unwanted content from reaching a wider audience.

The plea, which mentions the federal government, the PTA, the cabinet secretary, the secretary for information and technology (IT), the secretary of interior and and Ministry of Human Rights as respondents, complains that the authorities didn't give any reason for shutting down social media platforms in the country.

It also calls for immediate restoration of internet access and the revocation of the Centre's decision to restrict access to it.

"Businesses and every sphere of life are being affected because of the internet’s closure. Shutting down the internet is also a violation of fundamental rights," the petition read.

A day earlier, Justice Ahmad, while reserving the verdict, had expressed displeasure over the state counsel's non-seriousness and "lack of knowledge" on the matter of the nationwide internet service disruptions.

Govt defends internet firewall
The government's move has been under scrutiny from various sections of society for its adverse economic effects.

Chairman Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan has warned that online and electronic-related businesses, an essential pillar of the country’s digital economy, are now "struggling to maintain operations, and the slowdown is threatening their very survival".

Meanwhile, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has said that frequent internet disruptions threaten to hinder the development of a strong digital infrastructure as the backbone of the country's economic development.

However, the federal government has defended its decision to enforce an internet firewall terming it a cybersecurity measure "that every country in the world takes".

"Look at the cybersecurity attacks being carried out on the country and the world as well. With the evolution of cybersecurity threats, states need to have a better capability to ensure that the threats are [well] responded to," Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Thursday.