The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman has finally addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the installation of a firewall system, confirming its existence in a carefully worded statement.
“It is not some new firewall system, but rather an upgraded version of the web management system introduced during the PTI government,” he clarified in a heated session of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Information Technology.
The committee members were seeking clarification as to what the system was and what its purpose would be, leading to intense discussions.
He further reassured the members that this is the very web management system that was approved in the year 2019 under the PTI and not some new firewall being presented.
The PTA chairman went on to say that the system was not designed to infringe on privacy, stating that social media platforms are end-to-end encrypted, and there is no technology in place to access private information. He went ahead to add that though VPNs are not being closed down, registration is required.
Chairperson of the committee, Aminul Haque expressed his concern about public awareness and also sought transparency as far as internet disruption is concerned.
The PTA chairman expressed that due to the fallout of the fiber optic cable and the extensive use of VPNs in recent times, the slowdown of the internet was noticed, adding that its old pace would be restored by August 27.
Further pressed by journalists, he denied the existence of a firewall, insisting that it is just a web management system designed to control gray traffic.
His comments drew a debate from committee members, with Opposition leader Umar Ayub questioning just how far-reaching the system is and if secret agencies could block it without oversight. This brought up a shouting match with government member Zulfikar Bhatti, who objected to the repeated questioning of the system's purpose.
