Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that internet in Pakistan was “much better and cheaper” compared to other countries, and dismissed claims made in a recent report that internet outages in the country had caused losses. massive financial losses last year.
In the second half of 2024, users frequently experienced slow speeds, difficulties 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 it had limited the Internet but said it was updating a “web management system” to improve cybersecurity.
A recent report by Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN reviewer, stated that Pakistan led the world in terms of financial losses suffered as a result of outages and closures of internet and social media applications last year, with a cumulative financial impact of 1,620. million dollars.
“This was calculated by a VPN forum, but I think the internet has improved and in the coming days it will improve even more,” Tarar said while talking to reporters at the opening ceremony of Media Cricket League 2025.
“You won’t find internet cheaper than what we have here – look at ads with slogans about unlimited data, whether it’s telecoms or local area network (LAN) systems,” he said.
The Information Minister added that there have been improvements regarding the Internet, adding: “There were some failures in the past, but now I feel that 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 assessment of Pakistan’s exports recorded a growth of 33 percent in five months, “a mark that was inconceivable if internet disruptions had been a recurring norm”.
The comparative growth of internet users from 2023 to 2024 was 25 percent, he said, adding that this was a “reflection of the tedious and committed efforts made [sic] by the Ministry of IT regarding Internet connectivity.”
