Internet slowdown, firewall installation challenged in IHC

ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist Hamid Mir on Friday challenged internet slowdown and installation of a firewall in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), ARY News reported.

Mir made Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and Ministry for Human Rights respondents in the plea filed through his lawyer Imaan Mazari.

The petition requests the court to stop the installation of the firewall, which affects citizens’ fundamental rights.

The installation should be conditional on stakeholders’ consultation and the protection of fundamental rights, the petition urges.

The petition also requests that access to the internet for livelihood purposes be declared a fundamental human right under the Constitution.

The petition asks the court to seek a detailed report on the firewall from the concerned parties.

The petition mentions that the installation of the firewall has apparently led to a significant reduction in internet speed. The petition argues that this has harmed the youth, who are the backbone of the digital economy.

Earlier, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Palwasha Khan, convened to address the recent disruptions in internet service across Pakistan and sought a detailed report on the issue within two weeks.

During the meeting, Senator Afnan Ullah Khan highlighted that due to the internet disruption, freelancers and digital agencies have already lost $500 million and impacted the country’s economy.