Pakistan’s commitment to upholding free internet, as pledged in the 2021 UN resolution, has been called into question by cybersecurity company and VPN provider Surfshark. Despite supporting the resolution, Pakistan has imposed seven internet restrictions since then, according to Surfshark’s study. These restrictions are seen as contradicting the spirit of the resolution, which aims to protect and promote human rights on the internet.
Surfshark analyzed countries’ positions on the 2021 UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution and compared them with data from their Internet Shutdown Tracker. They identified 15 countries, including Pakistan, that claimed to support the resolution but later imposed internet restrictions.
Pakistan has faced criticism for going against the resolution on seven occasions, with three of these incidents occurring in the past month during the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. In 2022, the internet was restricted three times, including during a march to the capital and when Khan’s speech was being broadcast live. Among the countries that broke their word, Pakistan ranks third in terms of the number of restrictions imposed, trailing behind Sudan and India.
Surfshark’s spokeswoman, Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, expressed concern that despite publicly supporting the resolution, these countries still imposed internet restrictions, which goes against the resolution’s objective of condemning such actions and protecting online freedom of speech.
The countries that supported the 2021 UN resolution but imposed internet restrictions include India, Sudan, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Senegal, Russia, Brazil, Armenia, Indonesia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine.
Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker recorded a total of 66 internet disruptions in these 15 countries during or after the adoption of the resolution.
