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Pakistan says working to boost Internet accessibility amid reports of disruptions due to firewall

Pakistan says working to boost Internet accessibility amid reports of disruptions due to firewall
An employee works on a computer at the office of Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), a platform and support group to help freelancers, in Karachi, Pakistan on August 22, 2024. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 27 August 2024
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Pakistan says working to boost Internet accessibility amid reports of disruptions due to firewall

Pakistan says working to boost Internet accessibility amid reports of disruptions due to firewall
  • PTA has allowed six gigahertz spectrum band for the deployment of next generation Wi-Fi technologies
  • The unlocking of band has made Pakistan the 10th country in Asia Pacific to use six gigahertz for Wi-Fi
Updated 27 August 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to implement a series of steps to improve Internet access for the public, state-owned media reported on Tuesday, citing the National Assembly proceedings from the previous day.

The information was shared by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar during the Question Hour amid widespread discontent over slow Internet speeds across the country, which digital activists attribute to the government’s decision to install a national firewall to filter “propaganda and unwanted content” online.

However, Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja has rejected claims that the government is responsible for slowing or shutting down the Internet, attributing the issue instead to the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs) following a ban on the social media platform X since February.

“Tarar said the PTA has allowed six gigahertz spectrum band for unlicensed operation for Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) in Pakistan,” Radio Pakistan said while reporting the National Assembly proceedings.

Countries typically make such unlicensed spectrums available for general use by the public without the need for users to obtain specific authorization or licenses. These unlicensed bands are commonly used for technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless local area networks (WLANs).

The minister said the unlocking of this spectrum had made Pakistan the 10th country in the Asia Pacific region to embrace six gigahertz for Wi-Fi.

“Currently, only sixty countries worldwide have unlocked six gigahertz for RLAN WIFI services,” he was reported as saying. “The development aims to facilitate deployment of next generation WIFI technologies across Pakistan, empowering business and individuals with high speed, low latency connectivity.”

“This initiative underscored Pakistan’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring nationwide access to advanced technologies,” he added.

Tarar said the PTA had also formulated the telecom infrastructure sharing framework for the growth and sustainability of the sector in Pakistan.

Topics: Pakistan Firewall Internet Pakistan Telecommunication Authority PTA WLANs RLAN

Police call off anti-militancy protest, say army will decrease presence in northwestern Pakistani district

Police call off anti-militancy protest, say army will decrease presence in northwestern Pakistani district
Updated 1 min 36 sec ago
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Police call off anti-militancy protest, say army will decrease presence in northwestern Pakistani district

Police call off anti-militancy protest, say army will decrease presence in northwestern Pakistani district
  • Army has heavy presence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where it has been battling militant groups for nearly two decades
  • Army has not yet commented on the agreement, at least 78 policemen have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year
Updated 1 min 36 sec ago
REHMAT MEHSUD

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Police in the Lakki Marwat district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province said they were calling off a days-long protest against a spike in militant attacks and targeted killings of police officers after the army agreed to leave check posts in villages and city centers of the restive area. 
Pakistan’s army has a heavy presence across KP, where it has been battling militants from the Al-Qaeda, Pakistani Taliban and other groups for nearly two decades. The province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks on police, security forces and anti-polio vaccination teams as well as kidnappings of officials in recent months.
There have been protests in several districts of KP since July, when Pakistan’s cabinet announced that a new military operation would be launched amid a surge in terror attacks across the country. People in KP have rejected plans for an armed operation and demand that civilian agencies like the provincial police and the counter-terrorism department be better equipped.
In Lakki Marwat, police launched a sit-in on Monday and blocked the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway for all types of vehicular traffic. The sit-in continued for almost four days and ended late Thursday after the police said they had reached an agreement with the district administration, following the intervention of elders from the native Marwat tribe.
“Pak Army will leave Lakki Marwat within six days. Police must be empowered and given armored vehicles and other resources,” the district police spokesman said in a statement, detailing conditions of the agreement.
“External interference in police must be eliminated, injured policemen should be taken care of, and no disciplinary action should be taken against the police personnel and civilians who participated in the sit-in.”
The statement said police would relaunch their sit-in if the agreement was not implemented. 
Lakki Marwat Police Spokesman Shahid Marwat told Arab News the army would not “totally withdraw” from the district but will leave check posts in villages and city centers. 
The army and the provincial government have not yet commented on the military’s plans to exit Lakki Marwat. 
The protest, which was joined by representatives of civil society and political parties as well as tribal elders and members of the public, came days after unidentified gunmen attacked a police van in Lakki Marwat, killing an officer, while two brothers of a serving policeman were also killed in a separate attack in the district last week.
Hours after the sit-in was called off, a police constable, Hikmat Ullah, was gunned down at a shop in the Samandar village of Lakki Marwat, according to police. The death brought the number of police killings in KP to 78 this year, police data showed.
The volatile Lakki Marwat district is located on the edge of Pakistan’s restive tribal regions that border Afghanistan, from where Islamabad says militants mainly associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan frequently launch attacks, targeting police and security forces.
Islamabad has even blamed Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers for facilitating anti-Pakistan militants. Kabul denies the charges.

Topics: LAKKI MARWAT Bannu attack polio attack Pakistan Polio Service Pakistan Army

ADB grants $320 million to improve roads in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ADB grants $320 million to improve roads in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Updated 17 min 9 sec ago
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ADB grants $320 million to improve roads in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ADB grants $320 million to improve roads in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Lack of resilient infrastructure has escalated the impact of disasters like floods on people and livelihoods
  • Flooding events since 2010 have substantially damaged roads, hampering connectivity and spiking transport costs
Updated 17 min 9 sec ago
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $320 million loan to help rehabilitate roads in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and enhance “safe and all-weather connectivity” in rural areas. 
Annual rainfall and temperature patterns have significantly increased in parts of the province, and the lack of resilient infrastructure has escalated the impact of disasters on people and livelihoods. Flooding events since 2010 have substantially damaged the road network, hampering connectivity and escalating transportation costs.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project will upgrade around 900 kilometers of rural roads in the province that are susceptible to floods and are in poor condition. These cover key routes that link remote communities to education, health care, and markets. The project includes measures to incorporate climate-resilient design, road safety enhancement, and sustainable maintenance practices.
“This vital infrastructure project will reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and increase access to economic opportunities for millions of residents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said in a statement. 
“By providing better access to markets and services, we are empowering local communities and driving inclusive economic growth in one of Pakistan’s most underserved regions.”
The project will offer technical and financial support to assist the provincial government in preparing “long-term targeted interventions” that will enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of the province’s road network. 
“ADB will help the government conduct a comprehensive study on flood susceptibility, with a focus on landslide vulnerability across the province, to identify priority roads,” ADB Senior Transport Specialist Seunghyun Kim said. 
“We will support the government in preparing concessional contracts for the operation and maintenance of two tourism roads, which will contribute to the sustainability of the road network.”
Roads dominate Pakistan’s transport system, with almost 96 percent of freight traffic and 92 percent of passenger traffic passing through the road networks. Provincial roads, like those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, connect district centers with the national highway network and are vital in facilitating trade as well as providing access to health, education, and other public services.
Pakistan was a founding member of the ADB. Since 1966, the bank has committed over $52 billion in public and private sector loans, grants, and other forms of financing “to promote inclusive economic growth” in Pakistan and improve the country’s infrastructure, energy and food security, transport networks, and social services.

Gunmen kill three border guards in attack in southeastern Iran near Pakistan frontier

Gunmen kill three border guards in attack in southeastern Iran near Pakistan frontier
Updated 13 September 2024
AP
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Gunmen kill three border guards in attack in southeastern Iran near Pakistan frontier

Gunmen kill three border guards in attack in southeastern Iran near Pakistan frontier
  • IRNA state news agency reported that militant group Jaish Al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack
  • At least 22 policemen were killed in April in two separate clashes in Sistan and Baluchistan province
Updated 13 September 2024
AP

TEHRAN: Gunmen killed three border guards and wounded one other person Thursday in restive southeastern Iran, state-run media reported.
IRNA news agency reported that gunmen in a car opened fire on a border regiment vehicle in Mirjaveh county in southeast Sistan and Baluchistan province, near the Pakistani border, killing two soldiers and an officer. A civilian was wounded.
IRNA said the militant group Jaish Al-Adl, which allegedly seeks greater rights for the ethnic Baloch minority, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In April, in two separate clashes in the province, at least 22 Iranian policemen died.
The province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers, and Iranian security forces. In December, militants killed nearly a dozen police officers in an attack on a police station in the province.
Sistan and Baluchistan province is one of the least developed parts of Iran.

Topics: Pakistan Iran border

Pakistan clinch big 5-1 hockey win against China in Asian Champions Trophy

Pakistan clinch big 5-1 hockey win against China in Asian Champions Trophy
Updated 54 min 43 sec ago
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Pakistan clinch big 5-1 hockey win against China in Asian Champions Trophy

Pakistan clinch big 5-1 hockey win against China in Asian Champions Trophy
  • With this win, Pakistan have moved up to second spot on points table
  • Pakistan will now play their last pool match against India on Saturday
Updated 54 min 43 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continued to remain unbeaten as they registered a well-earned 5-1 win against hosts China at the ongoing Hero Asian Champions Trophy at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China, on Thursday, the International Hockey Federation said. 
With this win, Pakistan have moved up to the second spot in the points table. With another day’s play remaining in the league stage, Pakistan continue to stay in contention for a spot in the semifinal. India continues to lead the points table with Pakistan placed second and Korea third while Malaysia have managed to squeeze past China after Thursday’s loss.
On the Pakistan side, goals were scored by Rehman Abdul, Ahmad Nadeem and Hannan Shahid while Jiesheng Gao scored the lone goal for China.
“It is a collective team effort, we are learning by each match,” Shahid, who was named the ‘hero’ of the match, said in a statement after the win. 
“We were conceding too many cards in the start of the tournament but today we conceded only one card. Hero of the team award is a result of my team’s effort, they created chances for me to score and I am happy how we have progressed in the tournament.”
Pakistan will now play their last pool match against India tomorrow, Saturday. The match will begin at 12:45 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.

Topics: Pakistan hockey team

Pakistan cabinet orders 50% of wheat, sugar and fertilizer imports through Gwadar port

Pakistan cabinet orders 50% of wheat, sugar and fertilizer imports through Gwadar port
Updated 40 min ago
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Pakistan cabinet orders 50% of wheat, sugar and fertilizer imports through Gwadar port

Pakistan cabinet orders 50% of wheat, sugar and fertilizer imports through Gwadar port
  • China Overseas Port Holding Company plans to eventually expand port’s capacity to up to 400 million tons of cargo per year
  • Gwadar underutilized for import and export due to distance from marketplaces of the country, security and services availability
Updated 40 min ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Thursday approved directives to government agencies to source 50 percent of wheat, sugar and fertilizer imports through the southwestern deep sea port of Gwadar, state-run media reported.
Gwadar is on the Arabian Sea in the southwestern province of Balochistan, a mineral-rich region plagued by a decades-long separatist insurgency. China has invested heavily in the province, including by developing Gwadar, which is key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that also encompasses infrastructure and energy projects and is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), which operationally handles Gwadar, plans to eventually expand the port’s capacity to up to 400 million tons of cargo per year. Long term plans for the port require a total of 100 berths to be developed by 2045. For now, Gwadar is underutilized for commercial import and export due to reasons such as distance from the marketplaces of the country, security and services availability.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered that 50 percent of all public sector cargo be brought to Pakistan through Gwadar. 
“The federal cabinet approved directives for all government agencies to ensure that 50 percent of their imports, such as wheat, sugar, and fertilizer, are accessed through the Gwadar Port,” Radio Pakistan said on Thursday after a meeting of the cabinet. “The cabinet also directed that the percentage of exports through Gwadar Port should be increased in the future.”
A sub-committee of the cabinet will be established to present a quarterly report on import and export activities at Gwadar, it said.
Beijing has publicly voiced concerns about the security of its workers and projects in recent months, particularly after March this year when a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 
Militants have also previously attacked Chinese nationals and targeted projects, viewing China as a foreign invader trying to gain control of the region’s resources.
The start of operations at a Chinese-funded airport in Gwadar was also pushed back for a security review last month after a string of deadly attacks by separatist militants in the area in which over 50 people were killed.

Topics: Pakistan Cabinet

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