IT Minister Blames VPN for Slow Internet Speed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, attributed Pakistan’s slow internet speeds to the widespread use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

During a news conference in Islamabad, Fatima Khawaja clarified that the internet has not been blocked or intentionally slowed down. Instead, she explained that the heavy use of VPNs, especially after certain apps were restricted, has impacted overall internet performance, including mobile internet speeds.

The Minister assured that the government is actively addressing the issue and working to enhance internet services across the country. She also announced the establishment of a Digitization Commission, which aims to boost Pakistan’s digital economy.

Fatima Khawaja further highlighted a rise in IT exports, crediting the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s initiatives for this growth.

She also dismissed rumors of government-induced internet slowdowns, emphasizing that the slowdown is due to the increased load on internet traffic.

Recent internet disruptions have been linked to the implementation of firewalls at major gateways, designed to monitor and filter traffic while tracking objectionable content. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is reportedly considering a new policy to regulate VPN use nationwide.

The surge in VPN usage in 2024, primarily to access the blocked social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has led to a significant increase in demand. A report by Top10VPN noted a 131% rise in VPN usage on February 19 following X’s blockage, with Surfshark reporting a 300-400% spike in new users from Pakistan.

Is the IT Minister serious? Blaming VPNs for slow internet speeds is absurd.

Fiverr, one of the largest freelancing platforms, officially announced on their community forum: “On August 1st, we temporarily set all gigs and availability statuses for our Pakistani sellers to unavailable, ensuring your ratings and success scores were not affected by factors beyond your control.”

The IT Minister is either being naive or too clever in trying to cover up the real reasons behind the nationwide internet slowdown. Initially, reports of slow internet were confined to mobile data, but over time, major ISPs like PTCL, NayaTel, Stormfiber, Transworld, Fiberlink, and others were affected as well. At times, browsing the internet has become frustratingly slow, leaving users with no choice but to rely on VPNs just to maintain a stable connection.

Our respected IT Minister seems to be shifting the blame onto VPN users, suggesting that they are the cause of the slow internet. Otherwise, according to her logic, internet speeds in Pakistan would be faster than those in the United States.