Freelancers demand immediate restoration of internet services

KARACHI: The Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), a representative body of freelancers countrywide, asked relevant authorities to address the prevailing internet issues and take immediate steps to restore services to full capacity, ARY News reported.

In a statement issued here, Pakistan Freelancers Association President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tufail Ahmed Khan said that freelancers have been grappling with slow internet speeds and frequent disruptions over the past three weeks.

“These challenges hindered our ability to meet project deadlines, onboard new clients, and secure future business, resulting in significant revenue losses,” he added.

The Pakistan Freelancers Association maintained that ensuring a stable and secure internet connection is crucial for freelancers to deliver their work seamlessly and continue contributing to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

“Pakistan is the fourth-largest freelancing industry globally, with over 2.3 million full-time and part-time freelancers,” Tufail Ahmed Khan said.

“If these issues persist, online freelancing platforms may downgrade our standing, further damaging the industry.”

The Pakistan Freelancers Association maintained that in addition to full-time freelancers, thousands of students also rely on freelancing to fund their higher education.

“Many educated housewives also take on freelance projects to support their families in these inflationary times,” Tufail Ahmed Khan said.

The Pakistan Freelancers Association president said that according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the country’s freelancers generated US$350 million in FY 2023-24, marking a 40 percent year-on-year increase. “This underscores the industry’s rapid growth, potential, and importance to the national economy,” Tufail Ahmed Khan added.

READ: Slow internet sparks concerns among Pakistani freelancers

Earlier on Sunday,  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).

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

Shaza 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.