Blog Archives

Latest Posts

Monthly

Categories

All Posts in

September 23, 2025 - Comments Off on PTCL-Telenor merger to be finalized in the coming weeks after numerous delays

PTCL-Telenor merger to be finalized in the coming weeks after numerous delays

In a recent presentation to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Chairman revealed how this long anticipated merger has been subject to numerous delays owing to complexities emerging from PTCL’s management. They warned of anti-competitive practices by the PTCL, raising suspicions of its abuse of market power overriding potential efficiency gains. 

In this session, other pertinent issues of data security and internet connectivity were also discussed. Senator Afnan Ullah revealed that stolen data worth over $65 billion is circulating the dark web, and this includes data stolen from over 300,000 Hajj applicants. Even the PTA chairman confirmed SIM data, including his own, has been available on public forums on the Dark Web. The lack of sufficient data protection legislation was pointed as the root cause for frequent security breaches and privacy violations.

September 22, 2025 - Comments Off on Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants lawyer Imaan Mazari over controversial tweets

Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants lawyer Imaan Mazari over controversial tweets

Prominent lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari has been a subject of significant mainstream discussion over her confrontations with state entities. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) filed an FIR against Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, alleging them of posting “anti-state” content on their social media accounts. Mazari’s posts questioning enforced disappearances in Balochistan and accusations against the armed forces for failing to eliminate militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were seen as inciting “provincial hatred” and as discrediting state institutions. This Monday, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Islamabad, Afzal Majoka, directed authorities to arrest Mazari and her husband for failing to appear before the courts.  

September 22, 2025 - Comments Off on Court hands 6 Year Prison sentence to man who used Fake Facebook Profiles to Blackmail Woman

Court hands 6 Year Prison sentence to man who used Fake Facebook Profiles to Blackmail Woman

The Judicial Magistrate (East) has found defendant Abdullah Saleem guilty of offences under Section 20, 21, and 24 of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Complaints brought to the court found this individual, based in Karachi, had been creating fake Facebook accounts with the intent of blackmailing and exacting revenge on a woman who rejected his proposal for marriage. He had been using these social media accounts to transmit pictures of this woman to random users in order to tarnish her reputation. The courts found substantial evidence from the prosecution to assess that the perpetrators action amounted to a violation of dignity, modesty, and a dangerous example of cyberharassment. Complainant testimonies were corroborated by confiscating the defendants phone, and by verifying chat records, screenshots, WhatsApp records, and detailed forensic reports.

September 19, 2025 - Comments Off on All Public Sector and Govt Payments to be Digitized by June 2026

All Public Sector and Govt Payments to be Digitized by June 2026

The Government’s “cashless economy” initiative intends to rapidly transform the digital economy ecosystem by expanding channels for secure digital payments and social protection. Recently, the State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad briefed the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, providing essential progress updates on key ventures like the “Raast ID” digital payments system, digital banking and wallets, and on issues of financial inclusion, literacy, and regulations. Key indicators suggesting a positive expansion of digital infrastructures include the fact that 88% of retail transactions are conducted digitally and over 46 million Raast ID’s have been introduced. On the basis of these improvements, the government has provided a roadmap for digitizing all state-related payments, at a federal, provincial and municipal level. State-owned Enterprises are also to shift towards digitizing their payment systems by mid-2026.

September 19, 2025 - Comments Off on AI Systems to Assist Lahore Police in Predicting Crimes

AI Systems to Assist Lahore Police in Predicting Crimes

The Punjab Safe City Authority has introduced “Punjab Emergency AI”, a software designed to predict crimes and allow the police to take effective action. The Ai system will identify crime hotspots, accidents, and situations where the likelihood of crime is high. According to Deputy Inspector General Faisal Kamran, these innovations will enable smart policing and more effective patrol plans. Over 8000 Smart City cameras in Lahore have been upgraded to incorporate AI tools in Facial Detection, and while these enhancements were mostly restricted to monitoring traffic violations, they will now cover a wide range of functions by identifying suspicious activities in real time.

September 18, 2025 - Comments Off on Google, PayPal Announce Partnership to Power AI and Payment Solutions

Google, PayPal Announce Partnership to Power AI and Payment Solutions

Google and PayPal have entered a multi-year strategic partnership to integrate advanced AI-powered shopping and payment experiences across Google platforms.

Under the deal, PayPal’s enterprise payments solutions, including PayPal-branded checkout, Hyperwallet, and Payouts, will be embedded into Google products such as Google Cloud and Google Play, making PayPal a key provider for processing card payments.

“Through this partnership, PayPal will use our industry-leading AI to enhance services and security, and we will more deeply integrate PayPal's innovative payment capabilities for a better experience across Google products and platforms,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet.

The announcement boosted PayPal shares by over 3% in late afternoon trading. Earlier this month, PayPal also partnered with AI startup Perplexity, offering users early access to its Comet browser with a 12-month Pro subscription trial.

September 18, 2025 - Comments Off on IT Secretary Says Repair of Damaged Undersea Internet Cables May Take Weeks

IT Secretary Says Repair of Damaged Undersea Internet Cables May Take Weeks

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.

September 18, 2025 - Comments Off on Lawyers in Peshawar Announce Indefinite Strike Over Mobile Signal Disruptions

Lawyers in Peshawar Announce Indefinite Strike Over Mobile Signal Disruptions

The Peshawar Bar Association (PBA) has announced an indefinite strike across local courts after persistent disruptions of mobile signals at the Peshawar High Court, Judicial Complex, and adjacent courts, allegedly caused by jammers installed in the nearby central prison.

The decision followed approval from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC), with PBA leaders declaring that lawyers will not appear in court proceedings until the issue is resolved. A joint statement by PBA office-bearers Qaiser Zaman, Zahidullah Zahid, and Imran Khan Yousafzai said the strike would continue until normal mobile service was restored.

Earlier, lawyers staged protests, even locking one of the prison gates leading to the Judicial Complex. The PHC Bar Association also voiced its frustration, with President Aminur Rehman Yousafzai and other representatives noting that repeated attempts over three months had failed to resolve the problem.

The KP Bar Council expressed concern, accusing prison authorities of creating unnecessary hardship for the public by installing the jammers. PBA also announced plans to file a petition in the high court challenging the signal suspensions.

It is worth noting that the Peshawar High Court had already sought a response from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in July to a related petition on mobile disruptions in court premises.

September 18, 2025 - Comments Off on IHC Suspends Order Removing PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman

IHC Suspends Order Removing PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended an earlier ruling that ordered the removal of retired Major-General Hafeezur Rehman from his position as Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman.

The bench, comprising Justices Muhammad Asif and Inaam Ameen Minhas, heard Rehman’s intra-court appeal against the order issued by Justice Babar Sattar, who had declared his appointment “unconstitutional, illegal and void ab initio” in a case filed by digital rights activist Usama Khilji.

During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Salman Mansoor argued that Justice Sattar had granted relief not even sought in the petition, without issuing a notice to the attorney general, which he said was required under Article 199 of the Constitution. Advocate Qasim Wadud, representing Rehman, contended that the rules had been amended and approved by the federal cabinet prior to the appointment.

Justice Sattar’s earlier ruling had noted that the PTA Appointment Rules were amended in May 2023 to accommodate the appointment, while the job advertisement was issued in March 2023 when no such post legally existed. The court observed the recruitment process “suffered from malice in law,” with a higher age limit set specifically to favour Rehman, and declared the appointment illegal and unsustainable.

The suspension of that order now allows Hafeezur Rehman to continue as PTA chairman pending further proceedings.

September 18, 2025 - Comments Off on Satellite Internet in Pakistan Awaits Licensing Regime Finalization

Satellite Internet in Pakistan Awaits Licensing Regime Finalization

At least five global companies, including Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Shanghai Spacecom, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Telesat, have expressed interest in launching satellite internet services in Pakistan, but delays in finalizing the licensing framework are holding up investments and connectivity plans.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has prepared a draft policy for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) internet providers, but its promulgation may be delayed due to legal challenges facing the PTA chairman, whose sign-off is required for approval. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) has yet to complete its registration process, a prerequisite for service providers.

Draft Policy Highlights

The PTA draft policy requires all user data to remain within Pakistan, routed through local Fixed Gateway Earth Stations. Additionally, compliance with content blocking requests from PTA and prohibition on granting foreign entities access to operations, infrastructure, or monitoring. Moreover, permission for LEO providers to offer Backhaul Services to mobile operators, helping expand coverage to remote areas. PTA also asks for measures to avoid interference with geostationary orbit (GSO) satellites and local wireless networks. The policy also establishes a Satellite Interference Reporting and Resolution System (SIRRS), with the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) designated to handle interference cases at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Licensing and Investment

The licensing regime proposes an initial fee of $500,000 and an annual contribution of 1.5% of gross revenue to the Universal Service Fund (USF). However, until PSARB finalises its framework, companies cannot proceed with infrastructure development or service rollout.

Officials acknowledged that despite IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja’s earlier promise of services by November or December 2025, no clear timeframe is available due to the pending regulatory approvals.