Internet service in Pakistan slowed down due to VPNs: Shaza Fatima

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, revealed that the slow internet service in Pakistan is due to the excessive use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), ARY News reported.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad today, she clarified that the internet was neither blocked nor intentionally slowed down, but the increased usage of VPNs has affected the internet speed.

Fatima Khawaja explained that when certain apps’ services were blocked, people started using VPNs, which bypassed local internet services and slow down the internet. She added that using VPNs also slows down mobile internet speeds.

However she assured that the government is working to resolve the issue and improve internet services in Pakistan.

Furthermore, Shaza Fatima said that a digitization Commission is being established for digitization of economy.

She said that IT exports have witnessed an increasing trend due to the measures taken by Special Investment Facilitation Council.

The Minister of State rejected reports regarding closing or slowing down of the internet by the government. She said the slowdown of internet occurred due to over burden on internet traffic.

Pakistan is facing internet service disruption and the issues are linked to the implementation of internet firewalls, which was installed at a country’s main internet gateways to monitor and filter traffic. While these systems can control or block content on websites and social media platforms, authorities claim that, they also have the capability to trace the origin of objectionable material.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reportedly decided to introduce a new policy regulating the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) nationwide.

READ: Slow internet sparks concerns among Pakistani freelancers

This move came after a significant surge in Virtual Private Networks usage in 2024, primarily to access the blocked social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

According to a report by Top10VPN, demand for VPNs increased by 131% on February 19, two days after X was blocked. Surfshark, a VPN provider, also reported a 300-400% increase in new user acquisition rates in Pakistan following the ban.