IN a recent address, caretaker Minister for IT and Telecom, Umar Saif, spoke about payment gateways for freelancers to receive payments at ease in Pakistan. He spoke of a communication world, new advancements, satellite communication and forward-looking space policy. On Jan 7, barely a week into the new year, network disruptions were reported and access to social media websites and apps throttled to thwart a PTI election fundraiser.

It is not the first time this has happened and is unlikely to be the last. So what stars are we reaching for exactly?

The present caretaker set-up is pretending as though it has the mandate of an elected government and is introducing policies and legislation like they are here to stay. The outgoing PDM government made a mockery of parliament by bulldozing bills and laws at breakneck speed. The PTI, when in government, chose to make parliament redundant and instead legislated via ordinances. Prior to them, the PML-N introduced legislation such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, with complete disregard towards what a consultative democracy should be, reducing parliament to a numbers game.

What change or promise can the average citizen or any sector in the country expect or be hopeful for with the upcoming elections? In and of itself the elections are important from a constitutional and democratic standpoint, but it’s about more than procedures, numbers and faces. Does the policy change?

Civil society & industry have cautioned against regressive measures.

PTI led with claims about Digital Pakistan and instead introduced draconian social media rules — ones that expanded existing PTA powers to cut off network access and restrict content. Network throttling was specifically written into the language of the rules by permitting PTA to “degrade services.” Today, PTI is a victim of its own policies.

To date, Pakistan does not have privacy legislation, a data protection law. The PML-N is touted as being “good for business” and yet leading the PDM government, it introduced a data protection bill which, had it been enacted, would have thwarted the digital economy. The party already has the stain of Peca on its hands.

Time and again civil society and industry have cautioned against ad hoc and regressive measures. Recently, the Telecom Operators Association wrote a letter to the PTA, underlining the adverse impact on business caused by the disruption. When the e-safety and data protection bills were introduced by the PDM government, the Venture Capital Association of Pakistan and the Asia Internet Coalition, among others, voiced their concerns about how Pakistan would be isolated as the contents of the bills would lead to global services being withdrawn from the country. Rights advocates emphasised the privacy and expression violations, just as they did when Peca was introduced. Losses in the billions have been reported as a result of network disruptions in an already struggling economy. But no heed is paid.

The switch-on/switch-off shenanigans, knee-jerk policy and regressive lawmaking reposes little trust locally and internationally, robbing Pakistanis of opportunities the private sector has worked hard to create, with little or no state support, and in spite of the constant hurdles.

The state’s investment over the years in this sector instead has been in surveillance tech and filtering technology — with taxpayer money — to be able to control information and gather dirt on targets to use for political machinations. Consumer protection, online safety, connectivity in underserved areas, payment gateways, ease of doing business, start-up ecosystem, investment — much lip-service is paid to these but in reality little is done to sustainably achi­e­­ve and advance aims in these areas in a mea­ningful manner.

The revolutionary zeal and bravado when persecuted is often short-lived, simply posturing for attention and vying for an opportunity to crack a deal. And then ensues the same cycle of repeating with political opponents what was experienced and condemned not a moment ago. No lessons are learnt other than power grab.

But what is written into policy and law is rarely reversed, in fact made worse by each successive set-up. The consequences fall upon every citizen and sector that become collateral as a result of these “policies”. Peca is proof of this.

So long as Pakistanis remain hostage to vested interests who can’t see beyond their narrow aims, citizens and the IT and telecom sector will keep bearing losses. Pakistan will continue to lose out as a regional and global player because those who run the country have anything but the best interests of the country and its people at heart.

The writer is a co-founder of Bolo Bhi, an advocacy forum for digital rights.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2024