Daily Times

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said that the internet in Pakistan was “much better and cheaper” as compared to several other countries, as he dismissed claims made in a recent report that internet outages in the country had caused massive financial losses last year.

In the second half of 2024, users frequently experienced sluggish speeds, difficulty downloading media on WhatsApp, and intermittent connectivity issues. Digital analysts said the government had been testing a “firewall” to monitor some platforms and block content. The government denied throttling the internet but said it was updating a ‘web management system’ for enhanced cyber security.

A recent report from Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN review­­er, claimed that Pakistan led the world in terms of financial losses suffered as a result of outages and shutdowns of internet and social media apps last year, with a cumulative financial impact of $1.62bn.

“This was calculated by a vpn forum, but I believe the internet has gotten better and in the coming days, it will improve further,” Tarar said while speaking to reporters at the opening ceremony of Media Cricket League 2025.

“You won’t find cheaper internet than we have here, look at the ads with the slogans regarding unlimited data, whether telecom or Local Area Network (LAN) system,” he said.

The information minister added that there have been improvements concerning the internet, adding, “There were a few glitches in the past but now I feel this is more of a political discussion without evidence.”

On the other hand, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said in a statement that the overall statistical evaluation of Pakistan’s exports saw a 33 per cent growth over five months, “a mark that was inconceivable had internet interruptions been a recurrent norm”.

The comparative growth of internet users from 2023 to 2024 was up by 25 pc, she said, adding that this was a “reflection of the tedious and committed efforts put together [sic] by the IT ministry regarding internet connectivity”.