Islamabad (Pakistan News) In a recent meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major (Retd) Hafeez Rahman, subtly confirmed the installation of a firewall system, although he referred to it using different terminology, calling it the “same old web management system introduced during the PTI era.”
The meeting witnessed heated discussions on the firewall issue, with committee members posing several questions to the PTA chairman. Responding to these queries, Chairman Hafeez Rahman clarified, “The term ‘firewall’ is not used anywhere; it’s a web management system. There is no new system—this is the same web management system from the PTI era. Social media platforms are end-to-end encrypted, and there is no technology that can access information. We are not shutting down VPNs, just asking for their registration.”
Internet issue
Committee Chairman Aminul Haq urged transparency, asking the PTA to inform the public about why internet services are being affected. During the briefing, it was explained that issues like fiber optic cable damage and VPN usage have contributed to the internet slowdown. The PTA chairman assured the committee that the issue of slow internet would be resolved by August 27. The committee also requested details of losses faced by the IT and telecom sectors due to the internet disruption.
When questioned by journalists, Chairman Hafeez Rahman reiterated that the web management system was approved during the PTI government in 2019 and that they are simply upgrading the existing system.
In response to a pointed question about whether it was a firewall or a web management system, the PTA chairman replied, “The term ‘firewall’ does not exist; it’s something you have coined. Who told you it’s a firewall? This is the web management system that has been in place for some time.”
When asked if the purpose of the firewall was to control social media, he clarified, “It’s intended to control grey traffic.”
Opposition leader Omar Ayub raised concerns about the system’s scope, asking, “Where will this system’s reach end? Can intelligence agencies block any system without asking anyone?” This led to a heated exchange between government member Zulfiqar Bhatti and Omar Ayub, as Bhatti objected to the repeated questioning, causing tensions to rise between the two.