Pakistan’s Social Media Firewall Project Collapses — Billions Lost from National Treasury

ISLAMABAD (International News): Pakistan’s ambitious plan to monitor and control social media through a state-installed firewall has ended in failure, with the government permanently shutting down the system ahead of the country’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction.
The firewall, installed in 2024, was intended to regulate social media platforms across the country. However, according to government sources, the system was never able to integrate with Pakistan’s existing telecommunications infrastructure due to persistent technical incompatibilities. Failing to deliver any of its intended objectives, authorities were left with no option but to permanently decommission the project.
The failed venture has inflicted a multi-billion rupee loss on the national exchequer, raising serious questions over planning, procurement, and accountability in government technology projects.
The consequences for Pakistan’s digital economy were severe. The firewall caused a dramatic slowdown in internet speeds nationwide, disrupting the livelihoods of millions of freelancers and crippling the digital services of thousands of businesses. Pakistan’s growing IT export sector, which relies heavily on stable and fast connectivity, was among the hardest hit.
The shutdown has drawn widespread criticism from tech industry stakeholders and civil society, who had long warned that the project posed a threat to digital freedoms and economic productivity. With the firewall now offline, attention turns to whether the government will be held accountable for the financial and economic damage caused by the failed initiative.