On May 25th, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, called on all Pakistanis to gather in Islamabad to demonstrate against the newly elected government. The recently installed government has instituted a wide variety of preventative safeguards in order to forestall and sidestep any negative occurrences and circumstances. Since the morning, we have been exposed to a variety of reports, all of which have been debunked by the various authorities concerned as the hours have progressed. The report also mentioned the rumour that the entire nation would experience an “Internet Closure.”
The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has stated that the rumour of the “Internet Closure” is false since the government does not intend to take any action of this kind. Some of the media outlets gave an incorrect account of these recent events.
The internet service provided by Transworld, which might be characterised as moderately unreliable, was experiencing some problems recently. The problem has been resolved, and the typical volume of internet traffic has been restored.
In the letter that the PTA sent to all of the telecom licensees, it states that they are to continue providing their full range of services even while the protest is taking place. They are additionally instructed to be more effective during the protests that are now taking place and to provide uninterrupted telecom services.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has issued a directive to all of the telecom licensees, stating that they must create all of the necessary precautionary measures and contingency plans in order to provide telecom services throughout the entire country, including Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). The following is a list of some of the guidelines that have been provided by PTA for creating the framework for emergency preparedness and response:
- Necessary resources should remain available at all levels for smooth functioning of voice/ data services and networks
- Any major communications breakdown shall immediately be reported to PTA HQs and its concerned zonal/ regional offices in the jurisdiction of which the breakdown occurs.
- All cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) and Local Loop operators should ensure that customers have access to their services (top-ups, scratch cards, provision of SIMs etc.)
- Coordinate with local authorities for the functioning of franchises, top-up outlets and communication networks in the affected areas.
Being Pakistani it is our duty towards our country that we act as responsible citizens and cringe from sharing baseless rumours.
