IT Secretary Zarrar Hasham told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication that repairing damaged undersea internet cables could take four to five weeks, after multiple cables were cut off the coast of Yemen.

“Not only one or two cables have been cut, but between four and five,” he said, noting that two of the damaged cables connect directly to Pakistan, affecting national connectivity. Bandwidth, he added, had been shifted to alternative networks, but full restoration required special repair vessels.

Hasham also confirmed that three new cables are planned within the next 12 to 18 months, which will connect Pakistan to Europe and enhance overall resilience. “Agreements have been made to bring these three cables to Pakistan,” he said in response to concerns raised by committee member Sadiq Memon.

This is not the first time submarine cable cuts have disrupted Pakistan’s internet. Earlier this year, faults in AAE-1, SMW4, and IMEWE networks caused repeated outages, with PTCL cautioning users about reduced bandwidth during peak hours before restoring services.