It seems that the government believes that simply repeating its half-baked explanations behind the dreaded digital blackouts too many times would eventually make the people believe it.
With reports of internet slowing to a crawl, that too, on the heels of yet another breakdown of popular social media applications last weekend, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khwaja could have done better than exclaiming the people did not understand a “complicated matter” due to “limited information.”
Between updating web management systems, submarine cables, pressures from frequent VPN use and “demand and supply gaps,” we have heard everything under the sun from the government machinery whenever questioned about these disruptions.
Meanwhile, the uproar about an unprecedented damage to the software sector, currently valued at $3.2 billion, amid relocation calls from industry leaders continues to fall on deaf ears.
Instead of tooting the same horn about upholding freedom of expression, shouldn’t the government show some willingness to drop the golden hammer?
In a country that cannot afford any setbacks to its precious foreign exchange, undoing an industry that provides one of the largest online workforces does not make sense. The government needs to consider the impact on the millions of households that depend on a working internet for their livelihoods.
Tech-savvy or not, there’s no rocket science involved in acknowledging how the internet acts as a lifeline for most businesses and therefore, this deeply embedded culture of censorship is both unsustainable and counter-productive. For starters, stifling dissent only amplifies their voices, allowing them to create an emotional appeal for many others.
Then again, in Pakistan’s current state, any negative development will only erode its remaining goodwill in the eyes of the global community. A much better option could be to open all channels of communication and let those “mischief-makers” blow off steam, as the state establishes its credibility in the eyes of the nation. *