Van Bergen also noted the significant effect these disruptions have on the Pakistani diaspora, who face challenges in staying connected with loved ones due to the inconsistent internet service
ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to increase transparency regarding the ongoing internet disruptions and the deployment of surveillance technologies. The human rights organization voiced concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding the use of tools that block content, control internet speeds, and slow down the digital network. He criticized the opacity of the Pakistani government in their handling of monitoring and surveillance technologies.
Jurre Van Bergen, a technologist at Amnesty International, highlighted that these technologies, including national firewalls, are often in conflict with human rights principles. “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,” Van Bergen stated. He emphasized that such tools undermine online freedom of expression, access to information, and impact the digital economy, particularly in a country where the internet plays a crucial role in public discourse, e-commerce, and citizen self-expression.
Van Bergen also noted the significant effect these disruptions have on the Pakistani diaspora, who face challenges in staying connected with loved ones due to the inconsistent internet service. Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities to provide clear explanations for the ongoing internet disruptions and to ensure that any monitoring and surveillance systems are used in a manner that is necessary, proportionate, and in line with international human rights law. On August 21, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman attributed the disruptions to a fault in a submarine cable, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology.
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