Islamabad:
On Thursday, the Ministry of Information Technologies informed the National Assembly Committee that Internet speed in Pakistan has slowed down due to the Underwater Cable Cup in Yemen.
According to the ministry, telecommunications companies have moved the bandwidth to alternative routes, but the catering can take four to five weeks.
During the meeting chaired by MNA Syed Aminul Haque, the IT and telecommunications secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan said not one or two, but four to five submarine cables had been cut near Yemen.
“Two of the cables providing Pakistan have been affected, forcing companies to divert the bandwidth towards alternative routes. The repair of these cables requires special ships, and full catering could take a month,” he added.
The committee was informed that three new underwater cables would become operational within 12 to 18 months, connecting Pakistan directly with Europe. The agreements for these cables have already been signed.
The Committee session took place at the Islamabad IT Park, where members have raised concerns about internet disturbances. Sadiq Memon, member of the committee, asked why the problems persist if three new cables are already planned.
The secretary reiterated that several Yemen cable cuts had created a serious situation and that Pakistan’s connectivity has been directly impacted.
Information of the Islamabad IT Park project committee, the IT secretary said that the technological park was under construction with South Korean funding thanks to a loan of $ 78 million extended in 2017.
The loan carries a period of thanks to 10 years and must be reimbursed over 30 years to a concessional increase of 0.5%.
The park aims to stimulate exports by attracting IT companies and is built according to international standards. The IT Islamabad and Karachi IT parks are developed with Korean assistance.
However, the members of the committee expressed their anger at the repeated delays in the project and ordered the ministry to issue a letter of dissatisfaction to the Korean construction management company.
The company said the heavy rains before the start of the project, the dollar crisis which had interrupted imports for six months, and high rights and taxes had all caused reverse. The company had repeatedly asked for exemptions from rights and taxes.
The project director revealed that nine project managers had been changed in the 13 months, which further complicates progress. The chairman of the committee put pressure on the company to find out if the park would be completed by the deadline of October 31.
Korean representatives admitted that the deadline could not be respected, although most of the work is completed by December 31, with the commissioning scheduled for February 2026.
Haque warned that if the deadline of October 31 was missed, another letter of dissatisfaction would be issued and that the company could even be on the blacklist. He said the deadline should be honored and asked the ministry to decide on new measures against the company in early November if delays persist.
