Legal obstacles arise in the implementation of internet shutdowns and the installation of firewalls, leading to a challenge at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Using his attorney Imaan Mazari as a conduit, Mir made the Ministry for Human Rights and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) respondents in the petition.
Because the firewall installation infringes on citizens’ fundamental rights, the petition asks the court to order its termination.
The petition requests that the installation be contingent upon consideration of stakeholders’ views and the defense of fundamental rights.
According to the petition, using the internet for one’s livelihood should be recognized as a fundamental human right under the Constitution.
A comprehensive report on the firewall from the relevant parties is requested by the court in the petition.
A notable decrease in internet speed appears to have resulted from the firewall installation, according to the petition. Youth are the foundation of the internet economy, and the petition claims that this has hurt them.
In order to resolve the recent delays in internet access throughout Pakistan, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, presided over by Palwasha Khan, met earlier and requested a thorough report on the matter within two weeks.
The disruption of the internet has cost freelancers and digital companies $500 million already, and it has affected the nation’s economy, as Senator Afnan Ullah Khan pointed out during the discussion.