Internet firewall could cost economy $300m: P@SHA

The country’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to internet disruptions caused by the imposition of a national firewall, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said in a press release on Thursday. The government is implementing an internet firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms. The government denies the use of the firewall for censorship. Ali Ihsan, senior vice chairman of P@SHA, said the imposition of the firewall has already caused prolonged internet disconnections and erratic performance of virtual private networks, threatening a “complete meltdown of business operations”. “These disruptions are not mere inconveniences; but, a direct, tangible and aggressive assault on the industry’s viability inflicting an estimated and devastating financial losses estimated to reach $300m, which can further increase exponentially,” he said in the statement.