PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Friday directed the interior and information technology ministries to respond to a petition against internet disruptions and slow speed across the country.

A bench consisting of Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel also directed the petitioner, Nauman Muhib Kakakhel, to produce details of the affected internet and social media access.

The petitioner requested the court to declare that the disruption of access to internet and social media platforms was illegal and unconstitutional and was based on mala fide intention.

Mr Kakakhel said the internet had become an integral part of daily life as businesses and social life were dependent on it and social media applications.

Asks petitioner to produce details of affected services

He said that lately internet service was being disrupted without any plausible reason or announcement, which had an impact on the daily life of people as the cyber world had become an integral part of their lives.

The petitioner claimed that whenever there was any protest in the country, the government resorted to disruption of the internet services as well as that of social media applications, which was illegal.

He said that he and similarly placed persons conducted their business and professional work through social media platforms, including WhatsApp.

Mr Kakakhel, however, said the internet disruptions and throttling had badly hit the services like phone calls and voice messaging, and documents uploading and downloading.

He said no announcement or explanation had been given by the government or relevant quarters about internet disruptions.

The bench inquired whether the government had conceded that it had been disrupting internet services, to which the petitioner stated that the government had not been giving a clear picture of the matter.

The bench also observed that the internet service provided through landline had been functioning but it was quite slow.

It added that the internet services provided by the cellular phone companies appeared to be mostly affected.

Mr Kakakhel said that people were forced to use virtual private networks to continue with their online activities but the act was risking the safety of their data, including bank accounts.

He added that people had no other option but to use VPN.

“Pakistan is a market of freelancers, e-commerce and online businesses, and international corporations and private individuals preferred to outsource those services, especially freelancing, from the country, but those businesses can’t be conducted due to internet slowdown, which is not only causing losses to individuals but also to the national exchequer,” he said.

The petitioner said that Pakistani youth also enjoyed a good reputation in e-commerce and online businesses in the global market, but they were now handicapped due to connectivity issues.

He contended that the Constitution guaranteed fundamental rights, and the right to the internet formed a big part of the right to life, which was an essential facility in the modern world for every purpose connected with human activities, be it educational, business, banking or swift communications.

The petitioner said the high court was the custodian of fundamental rights provided in the Constitution, so his and other Pakistanis’ grievances should be addressed and their rights protected.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2024