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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)

Trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, UK government says after verdicts announced

Trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, UK government says after verdicts announced
Updated 23 December 2024
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Trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, UK government says after verdicts announced

Trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, UK government says after verdicts announced
  • 25 civilians sentenced by a Pakistani military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” on Saturday
  • Case relates to accusations thousands of Khan supporters stormed military installations, torched general’s house in 2023
Updated 23 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom said on Monday trying civilians in military courts lacked transparency and undermined the right to a fair trial, days after 25 civilians were sentenced by a Pakistani military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” in connection with attacks on military facilities in 2023.

The Dec. 21 ruling underscores concerns among supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan that military courts are going to play a bigger role in cases involving the 72-year-old cricketer-turned politician, who is facing multiple charges including allegedly inciting attacks against the armed forces. He is currently facing these charges in a civilian court, but his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party fears he may also be taken to military trial. 

The government says thousands of Khan supporters stormed military installations and torched a general’s house on May 9, 2023, among other violence, to protest against the former PM’s arrest by paramilitary soldiers that day in a land graft case. At least eight people were killed in the violence. 

“While the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial,” a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson, said. “We call on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

The Pakistan government and military have not yet responded to the UK statement, which follows one by the European Union, saying the military court verdicts were “inconsistent” with Pakistan’s international obligations.

On Saturday, while announcing the military court verdicts, the army’s media wing said the sentences were an “important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation.”

“It is also a stark reminder to all those who are exploited by the vested interests and fall prey to their political propaganda and intoxicating lies, to never take law in own hands,” the army said in a statement.

Others charged over the violence were being tried in anti-terrorism courts but justice would only be fully served “once the mastermind and planners ... are punished as per the Constitution and laws of the land,” the military said, in what was widely seen as a veiled reference to Khan. 

The ruling comes days after Khan was indicted by an anti-terrorism court on charges of inciting attacks against the military. An army general who served under him as his spy chief, Faiz Hamid, is facing a military investigation on the same charges.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court last week allowed military courts to announce verdicts in concluded trials of nearly 85 supporters of Khan on charges of attacking army installations. However, it made such verdicts conditional on the outcome of appeals against the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians.

The court last year provisionally allowed military courts to try civilians.

With inputs from Reuters

Topics: Pakistan UK Ties Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan military courts May 9 protests

IFC backs Pakistani firm, UAE subsidiary to set up tire manufacturing unit in Sindh

IFC backs Pakistani firm, UAE subsidiary to set up tire manufacturing unit in Sindh
Updated 23 December 2024
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IFC backs Pakistani firm, UAE subsidiary to set up tire manufacturing unit in Sindh

IFC backs Pakistani firm, UAE subsidiary to set up tire manufacturing unit in Sindh
  • IFC and group of local banks will provide up to $50.2 million to Armstrong ZE to increase local production of tires
  • The project is expected to create over 1800 jobs and bolster local manufacturing and supply chains, IFC said
Updated 23 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and a consortium of Pakistani banks will provide up to $50.2 million-equivalent in financing to support Pakistan’s Armstrong ZE Pvt. Ltd. and its UAE subsidiary Zafco Group Holding in developing a greenfield tire manufacturing facility in the Sindh province, IFC said on Monday. 

The number of registered vehicles in Pakistan has grown steadily over the last decade, reaching approximately 30 million vehicles in 2023, including 23 million two-wheelers. However, local tire manufacturing remains constrained due to a lack of technical expertise and technology and a substantial informal market, making the country heavily dependent on imports.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, working in more than 100 countries. It has invested approximately $13 billion in Pakistan since 1956, supporting diverse sectors such as renewable energy, financial inclusion, infrastructure development, agribusiness, manufacturing, housing, health care, and trade, among others.

“Armstrong ZE is deeply honored to have earned the trust and support of IFC and our partner banks, HBL, Meezan Bank, Bank Alfalah and Habib Metropolitan Bank. Their investment in this transformative project is not just a financial endorsement but also a strong vote of confidence in our vision, capabilities, and potential to shape the future of tire manufacturing,” Azim Yusufzai, the chairman of Armstrong ZE, said in a statement released by IFC. 

“Together, we aim to foster innovation, create employment opportunities, and contribute to sustainable development in our communities and beyond. This collaboration marks a monumental step forward in advancing our mission to deliver world-class, sustainable, and innovative tire solutions to the Pakistani market.”

The financing comprises a $25 million loan from IFC alongside an up to $25.2 million equivalent investment in Pakistani rupees from local banks. The project is expected to create over 1,800 direct and indirect jobs and help increase the competitiveness of the tire sector through technology and know-how transfers.

The project will utilize the company’s long-standing experience in the tire industry, through its UAE-based company, Zafco Group Holding, which operates as a global importer and exporter of tires, batteries, and lubricants, with a presence in over 85 countries, as well as Zafar Enterprises, a leading tire distributor in Pakistan.

IFC will also be supporting Armstrong through its Responsible Investing Support in Emerging Economies (RISE) advisory program, which will strengthen Armstrong’s climate risk management, resource efficiency, and environmental and social processes.

“IFC is committed to improving Pakistan’s value-added manufacturing capacity by partnering with strong companies that can scale up production,” said Khawaja Aftab Ahmed, IFC’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. 

“This investment exemplifies this commitment and will help improve consumer access to tires while spurring the economy through job creation, increased productivity, and reduced reliance on imports.”

IFC said the project will introduce a locally manufactured international brand to Pakistan, which will improve consumer access to quality, affordable tires, while strengthening local supply chains, creating jobs and boosting private sector-led growth.

Armstrong ZE Pvt. Ltd. is a wholly owned company established by the Pakistan-origin Hussain and Yusufzai families who have over fifty years of experience in the tire business with operations in more than eighty-five countries. The families also own, Zafar Enterprises, a leading tire distribution company in Pakistan, and UAE based Zafco Group Holding, a global importer and exporter of tires, batteries, and lubricants, with a presence in over 85 countries.

Topics: International Finance Corporation tire manufacturing

Senate convenes parliament session to discuss UAE visa restrictions, welfare of overseas Pakistanis

Senate convenes parliament session to discuss UAE visa restrictions, welfare of overseas Pakistanis
Updated 23 December 2024
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Senate convenes parliament session to discuss UAE visa restrictions, welfare of overseas Pakistanis

Senate convenes parliament session to discuss UAE visa restrictions, welfare of overseas Pakistanis
  • Session held after months of widespread media reports of a decline in UAE visas for Pakistanis
  • Last month, Pakistan foreign office said it did not subscribe to “impression” of ban on UAE visas
Updated 23 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development on Monday convened a session at the Parliament House to deliberate on critical issues, “including the UAE’s unofficial visa restrictions and the welfare of overseas Pakistanis,” state-run APP news agency reported. 

The session was held after months of widespread media reporting on a decline in UAE visas for Pakistanis and a decrease in overall overseas employment for nationals of Pakistan, allegedly due to their lack of respect for local laws and customs and for participating in political activities and sloganeering while abroad.

Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the UAE for taking steps to streamline visas for Pakistanis.

“Senator Zeeshan Khanzada [chair of the session] emphasized the urgency of addressing lingering visa concerns, noting public frustration over unresolved issues,” APP reported after the meeting. 

“Khanzada pointed out discrepancies in visa processing despite applicants fulfilling all requirements and stressed the importance of keeping the public informed through compliance updates and timelines,” the state agency added.

Dr. Arshad Mahmood, secretary of the ministry of overseas Pakistanis, clarified that the restrictions “were not absolute, particularly in Dubai, where skilled labor remains unaffected.”

“He acknowledged a recent decline in the demand for unskilled labor and highlighted the need to prioritize skilled workforce migration. He added that approximately 700,000 workers have been sent abroad this year,” APP said. 

Committee members also discussed establishing dedicated immigration counters at international airports for overseas Pakistanis and facilitation for individuals whose passports had been confiscated, preventing their return to Pakistan, particularly those released from jail after falling short on visa requirements.

Last week, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi, the ambassador of the UAE to Pakistan, called on Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and briefed him on steps being taken to streamline visas for Pakistanis. Previously, the foreign office has repeatedly said Islamabad did not subscribe to the “impression” that there was a ban on UAE visas for Pakistani nationals.

“If there are any issues that arise with respect to issuance of visas and stay of Pakistani nationals in the UAE, that are important agenda items between Pakistan and the UAE and we continue to discuss them,” the foreign office spokeswoman told reporters last month.

Topics: Senate of Pakistan UAE Visa to Pakistanis

Days-long protest sit-in in Pakistan’s Gwadar continues over curbs on Iran border trade

Days-long protest sit-in in Pakistan’s Gwadar continues over curbs on Iran border trade
Updated 23 December 2024
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Days-long protest sit-in in Pakistan’s Gwadar continues over curbs on Iran border trade

Days-long protest sit-in in Pakistan’s Gwadar continues over curbs on Iran border trade
  • Locals in coastal town have traditionally used boats to travel into Iran to bring back oil and food items
  • In August, government introduced a token system with only registered boats allowed to cross over
Updated 23 December 2024
SAADULLAH AKHTER

QUETTA: A protest sit-in in the southwestern Pakistani port city of Gwadar entered its 10th day on Monday, with participants calling for free trade with Iran via land and sea borders as well as uninterrupted electricity supply and access to clean drinking water.

Gwadar is a coastal town in Pakistan’s impoverished Balochistan province where China is developing a deep-sea port. Despite the largescale development work, residents of the town have for years complained of a lack of employment opportunities and basic facilities like clean drinking water and electricity.

Pakistan shares an 904-kilometer-long border with Iran via land and sea, which is used for informal trade between the two countries. Formal trade between Pakistan and Iran has been nominal due to US sanctions on Tehran, but the area is dominated by informal trade of Iranian oil, food items and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), transported through various border crossings in the Makran and Rakhshan divisions.

District Gwadar shares a sea border with Iran while Balochistan’s Kech and Panjgur districts share a land border. In the past, locals in Gwadar used boats to travel into Iran to bring home Iranian oil and food items. They crossed over into the neighboring country after showing their Pakistani national ID cards (CNICs). 

In August this year, authorities in Gwadar introduced a token system under which only registered boats, around 600, can daily cross into Iran through the Kantani Hor sea route. Locals say the new system has led to unemployment in the district as many can’t afford the tokens, which can cost up to Rs60,000 $215.

“We have been protesting for the last ten days because our people have lost their jobs since the government announced this new token system,” Houth Abdul Ghafoor, a local politician who has been leading the All-Parties Alliance protest since Dec. 13, told Arab News, describing the system as “official bribery.”

“More than three million people in Makran division are linked with border trade with Iran because we don’t have industries and other employment sources. The border restrictions are causing food and oil shortage in the coastal city.”

Jawad Ahmed Zehri, the Gwadar assistant commissioner, said the government had formalized border trade with Iran by registering boats so that all traders could benefit equally.

“Small traders are now directly benefitting from this token system as influential traders previously prevented smaller businessmen from crossing through the border,” Zehri told Arab News. “Now everyone can travel on his allotted number.”

Asked about talks between the administration and protesters, Zehri said the government would not engage with those pressurizing the government to abolish the token system.

The participants of the Gwadar sit-in said they are also protesting power and water shortages in the port city.

“We demand provision of basic facilities like education, water, electricity and job opportunities,” Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, a provincial lawmaker from Gwadar, said.

Gwadar has witnessed regular days-long protests in recent years against the lack of basic amenities and alleged violations of human rights and extrajudicial killings by security agencies, who deny the charge. 

Separatists have been waging a decades-long insurgency in Balochistan, accusing the government and army of exploiting the impoverished province’s mineral wealth, accusations both reject. 

Topics: gwadar protest Pakistan Iran border

Peace talks to continue in Pakistani district wracked by sectarian feuding as two more killed

Peace talks to continue in Pakistani district wracked by sectarian feuding as two more killed
Updated 23 December 2024
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Peace talks to continue in Pakistani district wracked by sectarian feuding as two more killed

Peace talks to continue in Pakistani district wracked by sectarian feuding as two more killed
  • Clashes between Sunni and Shia tribes have killed over 130 people in Kurram since last month
  • Violence has triggered road closures, disrupting access to medicine, food, fuel, education, work
Updated 23 December 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: A government-backed council of tribal elders leading peace talks in a Pakistani district where at least 136 people have been killed since last month in sectarian clashes will resume meetings in two days and expects to sign a “durable” peace agreement, a government official said on Monday.

Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has frequently experienced violence between its Sunni and Shia Muslim communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the town ride in convoys escorted by security officials. 

The latest feuding started on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a vehicle convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shias. Nobody claimed responsibility for the assault, which triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work.

Earlier this month, the provincial government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party formed a ‘grand jirga’ of political and tribal heavyweights to convince rival tribes to shun violence.

“The jirga will resume meetings after two days and is expected to sign a durable peace agreement to the dispute,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement, which came after two Shias were killed in the Ochat area of Kurram on Sunday night.

“The two persons were coming to their villages but on the main road unidentified men shot them dead at around 8pm,” Kurram police spokesman Riaz Khan told Arab News on Monday.

“One of the victims was from Alam Sher village and the other was from Zerran, Parachinar.”

Khan said at least 136 people had been killed in the violence since last month. If you added those who had died due to lack of access to hospitals and medicines following the road closures, the number reached at least 200, the police officer said. 

Last week, Saif said authorities had decided to dismantle private bunkers, observation posts used in the fighting by both sides, and given a deadline of Feb. 1 for tribesmen in Kurram to handover heavy weapons. Local tribesmen have so far reportedly refused to surrender their weapons, citing concerns about their safety.

A tribal elder who is part of the jirga, however, said most tribes had agreed to the council’s recommendations. 

“The jirga faces no big hurdles because both the sides have expressed willingness to abide by the jirga decisions, including removal of bunkers and surrendering of heavy weapons,” jorga member Muneer Bangash told Arab News on Monday. 

“Once there are no heavy weapons, I’m sure there will be no mass killings at the scale that we have recently witnessed.”

He said both the sides wanted “communal coexistence and harmony” and realized that the decades-old clash had only brought destruction.

“We will give good news very soon. Half of the threat will be gone once the heavy weapons are collected. Peace will gradually take root,” Bangash added. 

Meanwhile, the KP government has launched a helicopter service to evacuate people and transport aid and medicines to Kurran as a major highway connecting Kurram’s main city of Parachinar to the provincial capital of Peshawar has been blocked since last month, triggering a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, lack of medicine and oxygen shortages.

On Sunday, two flights evacuated 27 individuals and 16 government staffers and jirga members, according to KP chief minister’s office. Since last week, over 180 people, including women, children and patients, have been transported via helicopter, with priority given to those in need of urgent medical attention.

In a meeting on Monday, the KP cabinet decided to establish a special police force to secure the Peshawar-Parachinar road, for which 399 people would be recruited. 

Shia Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of the country. The area has a history of sectarian conflict, with militant groups like the Pakistani Taliban and Daesh also previously targeting the minority group.

Topics: kurram kurram district sectarian clashes

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