Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman claimed that a fault in a submarine cable is the primary reason behind the recent internet disruptions across Pakistan.
Briefing the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT), the PTA chief stated that Submarine Consortium has informed [us] that the internet [services] are affected due to a fault in the submarine cable which will be resolved by August 27.
He added that seven fibre optic cables are connected with Pakistan of which one is damaged.
During the meeting, several senators grilled the PTA chief, expressing frustration over ongoing internet issues.
They questioned why TikTok was sometimes shut down, the internet was often slow, and firewalls were intermittently imposed, demanding clarification on the situation.
The PTA chief responded by saying the authority had no role in the internet slowdown and attributed it to technical issues.
“Every country, including Afghanistan, has its own system,” he stated.
PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan questioned the prolonged ban on social media platform X, asking for reasons behind its extended suspension and demanding to know when the ban would be lifted.
Responding to it, the PTA chairman admitted that he had no more information on the matter than the committee members did.
The committee voiced their opposition to the ban, arguing that such restrictions hinder the country’s progress.
The committee pressed further on the economic impact of the disruption.
Rehman disclosed that the telecom sector has incurred losses amounting to Rs300 million over the past six days.
Concerns were also raised about the impact on freelancers and small businesses dependent on reliable internet access.
The committee members also requested a briefing on Islamabad and Karachi IT parks.