ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has been accused of secretly carrying out one of the largest surveillance operations in the region, targeting millions of phone calls and monitoring social media platforms, Amnesty International revealed in a new report.
According to the report, Pakistani spy agencies can intercept up to 4 million phone calls at a time while blocking millions of internet sessions in real time. This sweeping digital monitoring is powered by advanced Chinese and Western technology, giving authorities the ability to track citizens, restrict dissent, and suppress political voices.
At the center of this surveillance network is the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), which enables authorities to tap phone calls and text messages. Alongside it is WMS 2.0, a Chinese-designed firewall that can restrict or shut down access to major social media platforms instantly.
Amnesty International warned that such large-scale surveillance creates an atmosphere of fear, discouraging people from speaking freely both online and offline. The watchdog also highlighted that nearly 650,000 websites are already blocked in Pakistan, with some regions facing prolonged internet shutdowns lasting years.
The report traced the origins of this technology to companies in China, Germany, France, the United States, Canada, and the UAE, raising concerns about global complicity in undermining free expression in Pakistan.
Experts argue that the combination of mass phone interception and strict social media monitoring is highly unusual and represents a dangerous trend. They warn that such systems could pave the way for a future where privacy and free speech disappear with just a single click.
Amnesty called on Pakistan to immediately halt unlawful surveillance practices and urged international firms to stop enabling the government’s clampdown on digital freedoms.
In other news read more about Sam Altman Warns Social Media Feels Increasingly ‘Fake’ Amid Rise of Bots
