‘Like a creeping coup’: Pakistan’s internet clampdown is throttling livelihoods

A protest by thousands in Pakistan’s capital last month demanding the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan triggered the arrest of hundreds, but also, digital rights campaigners say, more nationwide internet outages and slow-downs.

Pakistan has a record of curbing online access in response to political turmoil, banning social media sites or simply temporarily shutting down the internet altogether.

The United States condemned internet shutdowns in Pakistan following parliamentary elections in February in which Khan’s party won the most seats despite a crackdown on its activities.

Businesses that rely on the internet have complained Pakistan could lose hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue as a result of the government’s imposition of a national firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms and prolonged internet disconnections.

The government denies any attempt at censorship.

“We’re seeing a loss of civilian control over basic IT and digital infrastructure, only made worse by a lack of transparency,” said Usama Khilji, a prominent digital rights activist.

“It’s almost like a creeping coup.”

In Layyah, a small town in south-eastern Pakistan, getting steady internet connection requires Sehrish Bano to hop from room to room balancing her laptop and toggling between the three different connections.

More often than not, she said, none of them work.

The 25-year-old said the poor, unreliable internet connections hampered her ability...

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