Spokesman Report
Islamabad:Former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt, said on Wednesday that efforts to control social media through firewall is causing irreparable damage to the country’s economy.
He said firewall installation is destroying the fast-growing IT industry while online businesses are shutting down.
He added that companies and capital are fleeing the country, and the country’s reputation is being affected globally.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said in a statement issued here today that the so-called experts have not been able to install firewalls properly; therefore, it is ruining the economy, increasing unemployment, and killing the business of freelancers.
The business leader said that it is not wise to harm the weak economy of the country to deal with digital terrorists. In many countries, including China and Arab countries, the Internet is controlled, and social media is monitored to prevent anti-state propaganda.
State-controlled firewalls block unwanted websites, social media platforms, and specific content, but such measures do not affect legitimate businesses. An attempt to do so in Pakistan has brought the Internet to a standstill, which shows the expertise of the so-called experts working on the project.
The imposition of the firewall has triggered a perfect storm of challenges, with prolonged internet disconnections threatening a complete meltdown of business operations and financial losses of up to $300 million.
It is creating distrust among global clients, who fear their proprietary data and privacy will be compromised. He warned that a mass exodus of IT companies is not just a possibility but an imminent reality if immediate and decisive action is not taken.
The new system allowed the authorities to target and block specific components of mobile apps, such as voice notes, photos, and videos on WhatsApp, while allowing text messages and voice calls.
Digital rights groups have warned that the system could eventually enable the authorities to trace messages posted online to the phone or computer where they originated, as well as to block specific content.
Some suspect the new technology is not configured correctly for Pakistan’s internet infrastructure, prompting the recent slowdown.
Since the February general elections, Pakistanis have had only intermittent access to social media sites like X.
He said that thousands of companies have migrated to Dubai due to slow Internet, a significant loss for our economy. Foreign companies did not like to do business with Pakistani companies before. Still, the situation has worsened, and it is like playing with the country’s future.
He said such steps should be avoided, as they would harm businesses and employment and deprive the country of its income.
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