The suspension of mobile broadband services has had a devastating effect on the economy, resulting in substantial losses for telecom operators, the government, and the people of Pakistan.
Sources in the telecom sector told ProPakistani that the telecom operators have incurred an estimated revenue loss of Rs. 820 million, while the government has lost around Rs. 287 million in tax revenue.
Additionally, individuals who depend on digital apps such as Careem, InDrive, FoodPanda, and others have suffered a significant loss in earnings, while digital payments have come to a standstill. The suspension has caused widespread inconvenience and hardship to the masses mandating immediate attention of the concerned authorities to resume data services.
Sources said besides telecom companies, consumers were also incurring losses. They explained that customers who subscribe to daily bundles using data are on the losing side as well because, with data services suspended, users are unable to activate any bundles.
Commenting on the situation, Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim said that shutting down the internet is not a solution to anything as it creates more problems than it solves. “For almost 24 hours, 125 million Pakistanis have been without mobile internet – a critical tool in emergencies & productivity,” he said.
Aamir stressed that the devastating effect on the economy is quantifiable but the inconvenience to people is incalculable.
It bears mentioning that mobile internet services have been shut down in many cities across Pakistan since Tuesday.
The disruption in services emerged on Tuesday as protests erupted after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. The situation has persisted and shows no signs of cooling off.
Mobile users have reported disruption in services in many cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi. Service disruption has been reported on all leading mobile networks in the country.