Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) slammed the unrepresentative government for throttling the internet in an attempt to target PTI under the false pretext of security concerns despite its significant economic implications, as Pakistan topped world in economic losses due to internet shutdowns last year, even leaving far behind countries like Sudan and Myanmar, which were ravaged by civil wars. Reacting to the report, released by Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN reviewer, PTI Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram said that Pakistan topped the charts with a cumulative financial impact of $1.62 billion, which was alarming, despite the fact the overall world-wide cost of internet shutdowns dropped by 15.8 per cent in 2024. He lambasted the Minister of State for IT and the PTA chairman for concocting baseless and lame excuses to justify the government’s wrong, self-serving and anti-people policy of throttling internet speeds each time, as a 24-hour internet shutdown alone resulting in a staggering loss of Rs1.3 billion. Waqas flayed the illegitimate government’s reckless and short-sighted move to prioritize their own interests at the expense of the nation and its people. He emphasized that the government should refrain from scapegoating the internet for Pakistan’s deteriorating security situation. Instead, he argued that the root cause lied in their misguided priorities and flawed policies, adding that during Imran Khan’s tenure, the country experienced a period of exemplary peace. However, Waqas lamented that the country witnessed a wave of terrorism after the ouster of PTI-led government through regime change conspiracy because self-centered and short-sighted people were fraudulently imposed on the country, who stashed all their assets abroad and just came Pakistan to rule. PTI CIS asserted that the power-hungry clique’s ill-advised policy would have far-reaching devastating economic consequences for the country including the loss of substantial foreign exchange earnings and potential business contracts. However, he stated that the government was hell-bent on suppressing dissenting voices to conceal their own ineptitude and incompetence. He emphasized that despite the government’s much-touted plans, such as the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative and the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, the country’s economic flight would remain a dream until the duffers recognized the crucial role of investing in IT sectors, which was the main driving force to economic growth. Waqas urged that the government should abandon its reliance on fairy tales and unrealistic plans, which have failed to deliver tangible results. Instead, he pressed the government to focus on crafting a well-orchestrated strategy that leverages the vast potential of the IT sector to propel economic growth and drive meaningful progress. PTI CIS said that the government of political dwarfs, lacking the vision, obsessed with implementing flawed policies that throttle the internet, repeatedly shutting down services with flimsy excuses, leading to a mass exodus of IT professionals and leaving countless young people without jobs. He sounded the alarm that this ill-conceived policy would further erode the confidence of foreign investors in Pakistan, pushing the country to the brink of a complete business meltdown. By prioritizing their own interests over the nation’s well-being, Waqas feared that the government risked undermining the very foundations of Pakistan’s economy.