Govt Responds to Accusations of Slowing Down Internet in Pakistan

The federal government has denied deploying any system to shut down or throttle internet traffic in Pakistan, while confirming that a Web Monitoring System (WMS) is being used to block objectionable online content, including X (formerly Twitter).

The clarification was provided by the Minister-in-Charge of the Cabinet Division in a written reply submitted to the National Assembly of Pakistan.

According to the reply, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication issued a policy directive under Section 8 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act, 1996, through a notification dated December 26, 2009. The directive outlines procedures for the closure of telecom services due to national security concerns.

Under the existing process, the Ministry of Interior receives requests for service closure from relevant stakeholders and then issues instructions to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for implementation through licensed telecom operators.

The minister stated that the Web Monitoring System has been jointly deployed by telecom operators, including PTCL, Transworld Associates, mobile operators, and long-distance and international operators, in line with their license requirements. He said the system is a private procurement funded entirely by operators, without the use of public funds.

According to the reply, the WMS is mainly used to control grey traffic and block objectionable internet content. The minister emphasized that no system has been installed by the PTA to shut down or throttle internet services.

The government further explained that the Web Monitoring System, in various forms, has been operational since 2008 and is periodically upgraded to better monitor internet bandwidth. It added that the PTA is legally authorized under Section 37(1) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), to remove or block unlawful online content on grounds including national security, public order, decency, morality and contempt of court.

The Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules, 2021, were cited as providing procedural safeguards, compliance timelines, confidentiality protections, and judicial oversight through review and appeal mechanisms.

Providing operational details, the government disclosed that approximately 6.5 million pornographic websites have been blocked using the Web Monitoring System. It added that since February 2025, the WMS has also been used to block Indian content linked to misinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks against Pakistan.

The written reply confirmed that the blocking of X was also carried out through the Web Monitoring System on government’s direction.