Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, revealed that the slow internet service in Pakistan is due to the excessive use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
While holding a news conference in Islamabad today, she clarified that the internet was neither blocked nor intentionally slowed down, but the increased usage of VPNs has affected the internet speed.
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“I can swear that the government of Pakistan did not block the internet or slow it down,” said Khawaja while addressing a press conference in Islamabad today.
Minister explained that when certain apps’ services were blocked, people started using VPNs, which bypassed local internet services and slow down the internet. She added that using VPNs also slows down mobile internet speeds.
She added that some applications were not downloading so people used VPN. “Turning VPN on slows down the phone.”
However she assured that the government is working to resolve the issue and improve internet services in Pakistan.
Furthermore, Shaza Fatima said that a digitization Commission is being established for digitization of economy.
She said that IT exports have witnessed an increasing trend due to the measures taken by Special Investment Facilitation Council.
The Minister of State rejected reports regarding closing or slowing down of the internet by the government. She said the slowdown of internet occurred due to over burden on internet traffic.
The minister’s statement comes after millions across the country continue to face trouble accessing internet services due to limited connectivity, particularly while using mobile data in some regions.
Several experts, including Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP), blamed the phenomenon on increased security and surveillance owing to the installation of a firewall in the country to control unwanted content from reaching a wider audience.
Remember that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reportedly decided to introduce a new policy regulating the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) nationwide.
This move came after a significant surge in Virtual Private Networks usage in 2024, primarily to access the blocked social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
According to a report by Top10VPN, demand for VPNs increased by 131% on February 19, two days after X was blocked. Surfshark, a VPN provider, also reported a 300-400% increase in new user acquisition rates in Pakistan following the ban.
