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Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables

Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables
People work near the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) headquarters building in Islamabad on August 16, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 29 August 2024
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Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables

Pakistan blames mystery Internet slowdown on underwater cables
  • Government previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the slowdown whilst also admitting that the country was ‘undergoing a transition’
  • Digital rights experts believe the state is testing a firewall that monitors network traffic but can also be used to control online spaces
Updated 29 August 2024
AFP
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KARACHI: Pakistan authorities blamed a mystery months-long Internet slowdown that has drawn backlash from activists and business leaders on damaged underwater cables.
Digital rights experts believe the state is testing a firewall — a security system that monitors network traffic but can also be used to control online spaces.
The government has previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the slowdown whilst also admitting that the country was “undergoing a transition.”
“The ongoing Internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to (a) fault in two of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally,” Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the fault would be repaired by early October.
Internet networks have been up to 40 percent slower than normal since July, according to one IT association, while WhatsApp and VPN connections are severely disrupted.
The government and PTA for weeks refused to comment on the slowdown.
At the start of the month, defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the country was “undergoing a transition.”
He added that “there will be some controls to prevent threatening and defamatory content against the state and individuals.”
IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja later denied that the government was behind the Internet slowdown, blaming it on a surge in VPN use.
It comes as Pakistan’s military — the country’s most powerful institution — says it is battling so-called “digital terrorism.”
Analysts say the main target of the digital disruption is the party of jailed opposition leader Imran Khan, still wildly popular and boosted by a young, tech-savvy voter base.
Global rights watchdog Amnesty International urged Pakistan authorities to be transparent.
“The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down and control Internet speeds is an alarming concern,” said the organization’s technology expert Jurre Van Bergen.
Pakistan is banking on its nascent but growing Information Technology industry to increase its exports and generate critical foreign exchange revenue for a cash-strapped country.
“Without immediate and decisive action, the country risks deeper economic fallout and a prolonged digital divide,” Shahzad Arshad, the chairman of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, said in a statement.

Topics: Pakistan internet Internet firewall Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children
Updated 11 November 2024
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UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children

UN warns toxic smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province is endangering children
  • Toxic smog has shrouded Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month
  • Health officials say over 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments
Updated 11 November 2024
AP

ISLAMABAD: The UN children’s agency on Monday warned that the health of 11 million children in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is in danger because of air pollution that experts say has become a fifth season in recent years.
Toxic smog has shrouded Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month. Health officials say more than 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments.
UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, in a statement urged the government to make urgent and greater efforts to reduce air pollution for the 11 million affected children under the age of 5 and others.
“Prior to these record-breaking levels of air pollution, about 12 percent of deaths in children under 5 in Pakistan were due to air pollution,” Fadil said. “The impact of this year’s extraordinary smog will take time to assess, but we know that doubling and tripling the amount of pollution in the air will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women.”
Pakistan has shut schools until Nov. 17 in parts of Punjab as part of measures aimed at protecting children’s health. Authorities on Friday ordered the closure of all parks and museums for 10 days, and they have been urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.
According to the Environmental Protection Department in Punjab, Multan remained the most polluted city on Monday, with air quality index readings of about 800. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health.
Though the government has ordered the mandatory wearing of face masks, that has been widely disregarded. The government has also said it was looking into methods to induce artificial rainfall to combat the pollution.

Topics: Punjab smog

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’
Updated 11 November 2024
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At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’

At Arab-Islamic summit, Pakistan PM says independent Palestinian state only ‘avenue toward peace’
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif criticized the world for its ‘indifference and inaction’ on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, saying they had emboldened Israel
  • In his statement, the Saudi crown prince demanded the world must ‘immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon’
Updated 11 November 2024
KASHIF IMRAN & Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reiterated Pakistan’s complete support for an independent Palestinian state, saying it was the only “avenue toward peace” in the Middle East.
Sharif said this while addressing an extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, to discuss Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Israel has waged a war in Gaza since October last year, killing over 43,000 people and rendering the strip almost uninhabitable. Last month, it also invaded Lebanon and has since killed 3,000 people there.
Sharif said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached a level beyond imagination, criticizing the international community for its silence on Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza and Lebanon.
“Pakistan stands firm in its commitment to Palestine’s right to self-determination. We reiterate our unwavering support to establish an independent, viable and contiguous state of Palestine... This is the only avenue toward peace and justice in the holy land,” he said.
“We equally denounce Israel’s ongoing military aggression against Lebanon and stand in complete solidarity with its innocent people. Such escalations constitute a dangerous threat that could unleash a broader war.”
The Pakistan prime minister criticized the world for its “indifference and inaction” on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, saying they had emboldened Israel.
“With each passing day every moral code has been blatantly violated by Israel yet the killing and destruction continues with no end in sight,” he said.
“The international humanitarian laws meant to protect the vulnerable have been torn to shreds... Humanity is being tested and failing. While Gaza bleeds, the world watches in silence.”
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, Islamabad has dispatched more than 1,300 tons of relief goods for Gaza and Lebanon, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
Sharif said Muslim countries were bound “by faith and our conscience” to stand with the people of Palestine and not let this “systematic genocide” persist, urging the summit to call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, arms embargo on Israel, lifting of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, ensuring prompt delivery of food, water, electricity and medical aid, accountability of Israel for its “war crimes,” and a comprehensive review of Israel’s membership of the United Nations (UN).
“Let this summit be a moment of transforming our voices into actions,” he said. “Together we must move beyond condemnation and act swiftly to uphold justice and dignity for the people of Palestine and all those who face oppression.”
Monday’s summit was a follow-up to the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in November 2023 in Riyadh.
In his opening statement at the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman again renewed Saudi Arabia’s rejection of Israeli attacks in Gaza and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty. He criticized the obstruction of humanitarian agencies’ work in Gaza and rejected diminishing the role of the Palestinian Authority.
Israel had formally notified the UN of its decision to sever ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees after Israeli lawmakers backed the move last week.
The international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon,” the crown prince said, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide.”
“We condemn the Israeli military operations that targeted Lebanese territories and we reject anything that threatens Lebanon’s stability and safety as well as anything that violates its territorial integrity.”
He also condemned attacks on Iranian territory.

Topics: Arab-Islamic summit Pakistan Saudi Ties Palestine Pakistan Gaza Israel Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy
Updated 11 November 2024
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Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy

Pakistan allows Hajj fee payments in installments in new policy
  • Pakistan will send 179,210 pilgrims under government scheme and through private operators
  • The government will prioritize first-time pilgrims in the official balloting process, minister says
Updated 11 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Monday unveiled the Hajj Policy 2025, announcing an instalment plan for pilgrims to pay Hajj fees.
Hajj is one of five pillars of Islam, annually undertaken by millions of Muslims. Pakistan has one of the largest Hajj quotas provided by Saudi Arabia to any Muslim country amid immense demand for the pilgrimage, with many citizens waiting for years for an opportunity to participate.
Next year’s Hajj under the government scheme is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 to Rs1,175,000, while an additional cost for the sacrifice will be Rs55,000, according to the religious affairs minister.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000, must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by February 10 next year.
“If you submit Rs200,000 at the time of the application and your name comes (in the lucky draw) then you will submit Rs400,000 before the rest of the amount between Feb. 1-10,” Hussain said at a press conference.
The Pakistani government approved the new Hajj policy earlier this month, having a quota of 179,210 pilgrims who would be facilitated under the government scheme and through private tour operators.
Hussain said the move would facilitate people who could not make large payments at once, clarifying that Rs50,000 would be deducted if the first instalment is withdrawn whereas Rs200,000 would be deducted if the third instalment was not submitted.
Preference would be given to those going for the pilgrimage for the first time, according to the minister. As per the new policy, children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to travel for Hajj.
“The traditional long package for the official Hajj scheme will cover 38 to 42 days and the short package will cover 20 to 25 days,” Hussain added.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties hajj Hajj 2025

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals
Updated 1 min 59 sec ago
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Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals

Woman among three arrested in connection with Karachi blast targeting Chinese nationals
  • Two Chinese nationals were killed and 21 others injured in attack near the Karachi airport on October 6
  • The attack once again raised concerns about the safety of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan
Updated 1 min 59 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have arrested a woman among three suspects involved in a deadly suicide bombing in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi that killed two Chinese and a Pakistani national last month, an official said on Monday.
The bombing, which also injured 21 others, in the provincial capital of Sindh was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of separatist groups mainly operating in the neighboring Balochistan province.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine. The separatists accuse Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit the province’s mineral resources, an allegation denied by the Pakistani state.
Speaking to media in Karachi, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar said officials had found body parts of the suicide bomber, later identified through fingerprint analysis as Shah Fahad, at the scene. The BLA had also identified Fahad as the attacker.
“A high-level investigation involving law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and intelligence services was launched immediately after the attack,” he said, adding forensic teams conducted a thorough examination of the scene and collected critical evidence.
“Last night, during an intelligence-based operation, the mastermind of the suicide bombing, Muhammad Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa were arrested at RCD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk in Karachi while riding a motorcycle.”
The investigation revealed Javed’s direct involvement in the suicide bombing, while the woman, Nisa, had facilitated the attack, according to the home minister. Another suspect, a rickshaw driver, had also been apprehended.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan that has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, at the heart of which lies the Gwadar port in Balochistan.
Pakistan has previously said the attack in Karachi was aimed at disrupting its relations with China and destabilizing CPEC. The BLA has previously killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi.
Authorities discovered that the vehicle used in the Karachi airport bombing was purchased in September 2024 for Rs7.1 million in cash from a showroom in Karachi, according to Lanjar. It was taken to Hub in Balochistan, where the attackers mounted explosives on it and brought back to Karachi days before the attack.
“Since the transaction was made through legal channels, it did not initially raise suspicion,” Lanjar said, adding that the payment was made through a bank account in the name of a man, Saeed Ali, who was facilitated by Bilal.
The vehicle was later registered under Fahad’s name, while Nisa helped bring the car to Karachi and surveillance at the airport was carried out by Javed, who also informed the suicide attacker about the Chinese nationals’ exit from the airport, according to investigators.
Fahad arrived in Karachi along with Nisa on October 4 and stayed at a hotel in Saddar before executing the attack on the night of Oct 6.
“Investigators found that the bomber and his accomplices made preparations at various locations, including the Marriott Hotel, where they recorded a video,” Lanjar said.
“The video was sent to their BLA commander before the bombing took place. At around 9:30 p.m. on October 6, the group circled the airport before positioning the explosives-laden vehicle near the Chinese convoy.”
Lanjar said the attackers used up to 40 kilograms of a chemical substance to detonate the vehicle used in the attack, which has raised concerns about the safety of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan as well as the growing threat posed by separatist groups. The Karachi attack also prompted the Chinese side to publicly ask Pakistan to ensure security of its nationals, while a team of Chinese officials also joined investigations of the Oct. 6 attack.
In a separate development on Monday, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Avais Dastgir, chief of general staff of Pakistan Army, met with Gen. Li Qiaoming, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force, at the PLA Army Headquarters in Beijing, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“During the meeting, CGS offered heartfelt condolences on loss of Chinese lives in recent terrorist attack in Karachi and affirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensure enhanced security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“The dignitary from China acknowledged Pakistan Army’s efforts and measures for improving the security of Chinese and assured wholehearted support to Pakistan.”
Chinese workers have increasingly come under attack in Pakistan in recent years, with notable incidents including a suicide bombing in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that killed five Chinese engineers in March 2024. The latest shooting occurred earlier this month, when a Pakistani security guard opened fire at a factory in Karachi, wounding two Chinese employees.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Karachi blast Chinese nationals

Pakistan PM meets Saudi investment minister, discusses progress on recently signed agreements 

Pakistan PM meets Saudi investment minister, discusses progress on recently signed agreements 
Updated 11 November 2024
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Pakistan PM meets Saudi investment minister, discusses progress on recently signed agreements 

Pakistan PM meets Saudi investment minister, discusses progress on recently signed agreements 
  • Pakistani, Saudi businesses last month signed 34 economic agreements worth $2.8 billion 
  • Shehbaz Sharif is in Riyadh to represent Pakistan at Arab-Islamic Summit on Middle East crisis
Updated 11 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih in Riyadh on Monday to discuss progress on the recently signed bilateral business deals between the two countries, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. 

Pakistani and Saudi businesses signed 27 memorandums of agreement (MoUs) worth $2.2 billion on Oct. 10 during Al-Falih’s visit to Islamabad. Al-Falih announced on Oct. 30 on the occasion of Sharif’s visit to the Kingdom that both sides had agreed to enhance the number of business agreements from 27 to 34 and increase their value from $2.2 billion to $2.8 billion. 

Sharif is currently in Riyadh where he will address the Arab-Islamic Summit today, Monday, and present Pakistan’s perspective on Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon, and surging investments in the Middle East. The Pakistani premier met Al-Falih and Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, the adviser to the Royal Court on the sidelines of the summit, the PMO said. 

“The meeting was held to follow up on the recent engagements for economic cooperation between the two countries,” Sharif’s office said. 

The PMO said Sharif appreciated the progress on major projects under discussion between the two countries, acknowledging the efforts of the Pakistani and Saudi technical teams.

The meeting between the two takes place as Islamabad seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations, particularly the Kingdom, which has promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis.

As Pakistan reeled from a macroeconomic crisis last year that threatened to cause the country to default on its external obligations, Islamabad formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in 2023. The SIFC is a hybrid civil and military body that fast-tracks decisions related to foreign investment in key economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, minerals, tourism and others.

Sharif has actively pursued economic diplomacy in the region in recent months, seeking more investments and enhancing trade and regional connectivity for Pakistan. The South Asian country has sought to leverage its position as a transit and trade hub connecting landlocked Central Asian countries with the rest of the world and also pushed for mutually beneficial economic partnerships with Gulf countries. 

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Pakistan

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