A three-day internet outage has crippled Pakistan’s economy and way of life, putting the country in a state of paralysis, severely disrupting business operations, and resulting in losses that are estimated to be worth over Rs. 30 billion. Concerns about the impact on the nation’s economic stability have been raised as a result of the widespread outage, which has brought many sectors to a standstill.
The government imposed the internet blackout, which started on Tuesday, in response to unrest that followed the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Access to online services, e-commerce platforms, communication apps, and other essential digital resources stopped working as a result, making it difficult for people and businesses to function properly.
Businesses have been particularly hard hit by the effects of the internet outage, with those heavily dependent on online operations suffering the most. Supply chains have been disrupted, and e-commerce platforms, including retail stores and delivery services, have suffered significant losses in sales.
Financial institutions, banking services, and online payment gateways all faced significant difficulties, which complicated transactions and annoyed customers.
Furthermore, industries that heavily rely on Internet connectivity for virtual learning and remote job functions, like education and remote work, were negatively impacted. The pandemic-related setbacks were made worse by the blackout, which interfered with remote meetings, online classes, and teamwork.
According to estimates, the three-day internet outage has cost businesses over Rs. 30 billion in lost revenue, and it has been difficult for some people to meet their basic needs. The effects are anticipated to last for a long time as people deal with the fallout from disrupted services and businesses struggle to recover from the setbacks.
Human rights advocates and members of the business community have both criticized the government’s decision to impose the internet blackout. There have been complaints about the infringement of the right to information access as well as the potential long-term harm to Pakistan’s reputation as a digital economy.
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