Pakistan’s government has refuted states that it is building an online network, which has caused agonizingly slower connections in recent days.
Instead, it blamed the widespread use of secure connections or VPN (virtual private networks) for the crawling speeds.
Business organizations were quick to point out that poor communication could cause a “mass emigration” of IT companies.
Shutting down the computer to stifle opposition is a well-known ploy in the scripts of the government of Pakistan and different parts of Asia.
Since the riots sparked by former prime minister Imran Khan last year, the government has blocked social media platforms and throttled connection speeds as the battle for public support spilled over from the streets to the digital space.
The micro-blogging platform X has been blocked since the February elections due to “national security” concerns.
Mr Khan’s group supporters are big clients of X and he is the most common Pakistani on the platformn, with nearly 21 million followers.
However, Shaza Fatima, the minister of state for information technology, claimed on Sunday that the condition was not responsible for the latest thawing.
She claimed that her group has been “working hard” with telcos and internet service providers to solve the problem.
Ms Fatima said a “large people” had been using VPNs and” this strained the system, causing the computer to get slow”.
She criticized” completely misleading” claims that the position was to blame for the slow connections.
But, Ms. Fatima claimed that the government has been upgrading its computer systems to enhance cyber security.
” It is the right of the government to]take such measures ] given the cyber security attacks that this country has to go through”, she said.
Company leaders and organizations have been warned that sluggish links may threaten Pakistan’s ability as a leader in the world of business.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association said this could cost the IT sector up to$ 300 million, calling it a “direct, tangible and aggressive assault on the industry’s viability”.
If no fast and decisive action is taken,” a mass exodus of IT organizations is not just a chance but an immediate truth,” it said.
According to a plea that the Islamabad High Court has filed, the online access is now a fundamental right under the constitution of Pakistan.
BBC Urdu provided more monitoring.