Documents have emerged revealing that the decision to establish a national firewall was made during the PTI Government tenure. Amid a slowdown in internet and data services, Pakistanis are struggling to communicate on WhatsApp.

These documents reference a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office about the national firewall system. A letter dated November 4, 2020, was sent to the Secretary of Information Technology, confirming that the National Firewall System was discussed on October 22, 2020.

Read more: Mobile Data and Social Media Apps are Resuming in Pakistan After Firewall Installation

The letter instructed the IT ministry to present the plan for approval to the relevant authorities and explore various implementation options, including seeking feedback from stakeholders. It also stated that the firewall should be developed and implemented, along with a national social media application similar to China’s WeChat.

As millions of Pakistanis experience slow internet and social media disruptions, State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja denied that the government had intentionally slowed down the internet.

The minister clarified that the government had neither shut down nor restricted internet access and attributed the slowdowns to the widespread use of VPNs, particularly for downloading, which has placed a strain on the internet.

She also linked the recent internet disruptions to several causes, noting that they only lasted for a day or two.