ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Information Technology on Thursday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT that internet services in Pakistan are experiencing disruptions due to multiple submarine cables being severed off the coast of Yemen.
During the committee meeting chaired by MNA Syed Aminul Haque, IT and Telecom Secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan revealed that four to five cables had been damaged, including two that directly supply bandwidth to Pakistan.
“Telecom companies have been forced to divert internet traffic to alternate routes, but complete restoration could take four to five weeks since repairing submarine cables requires specialized ships,” Khan told the committee.
He added that Pakistan’s connectivity challenges would ease in the future as three new submarine cables, linking the country directly with Europe, are set to become operational within the next 12 to 18 months. Agreements for these projects have already been signed.
The meeting was held at the Islamabad IT Park, where members also expressed frustration over ongoing disruptions in internet services. Committee member Sadiq Memon questioned why users continue to face such issues if additional cables are already in the pipeline.
Separately, the committee was briefed on the Islamabad IT Park project, which is being developed with South Korean funding under a $78 million loan signed in 2017. The loan carries a 10-year grace period and will be repaid over 30 years at a concessional 0.5% markup.
The project, designed to attract IT firms and boost exports, has faced repeated delays. Members directed the ministry to issue a letter of displeasure to the Korean company managing construction.
Representatives of the company cited multiple hurdles, including heavy rains before construction began, import restrictions during the dollar crisis, and high duties and taxes. They noted that exemptions had been requested several times but not granted.
The project director further disclosed that nine project managers had been changed in just 13 months, complicating progress even further.
Although the company admitted that the October 31 deadline for completion could not be met, it assured the committee that most of the work would be finalized by December 31, with commissioning expected by February 2026.
Chairman Haque warned that if the October deadline is missed, another letter of displeasure would be issued and the company could even face blacklisting. He emphasized that the deadline must be respected and instructed the ministry to decide on further action in early November if delays persist.
