Internet disruptions causing $5M daily losses in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI (AA): The ongoing disruption of internet and broadband services in Pakistan is causing a daily loss of $5 million to the country’s IT sector, officials and market sources have confirmed.

Internet and broadband services across the country still remain disturbed a week after the government shut down the services, following countrywide violent protests in reaction to the arrest of opposition leader Imran Khan.

The disruption, according to the Pakistan Software House Association, has caused $30 to $35 million worth of losses to the country’s IT sector alone during the last week.

Chairman of Pakistan Software House Association Zohaib Khan said that the ongoing disruptions are causing a daily loss of $5 to $6 million to the IT industry.

“If we count, the losses incurred by the freelancers, other industries, and the tax departments during this period, it will be a much larger figure,” he maintained, adding that the government’s action has damaged the “brand of Pakistan globally.”

According to the association, over 600,000 people in the country are directly associated with the IT sector.

Confirming the figures, an official of the Information Technology Ministry shared that the suspension of internet and broadband services has caused millions of dollars in losses to cellular companies, online taxi services, freelancers, and others, aside from a $100,000 daily revenue loss to the national exchequer in the form of taxes.

Acknowledging the losses caused by the internet and broadband services shutdown, Information Technology Minister Amin Ul Haque said that the action has damaged Pakistan’s image globally.

In a statement on Tuesday, he said the services were shut down on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the percentage of broadband internet users in Pakistan is 49.08% – 108 million subscribers.