Pakistan Faces Internet Slowdown After Submarine Cable Cut Near Saudi Arabia

Internet users across Pakistan are currently experiencing slower speeds, a direct result of a submarine cable cut that has occurred near Saudi Arabia. Federal Minister for IT, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, officially confirmed the disruption, pinpointing its origin to an international submarine cable damaged in the vicinity of Jeddah.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, Minister Khawaja assured the nation that the government is in active communication with the relevant international authorities to resolve the issue. She pledged to keep the public informed with updates regarding the restoration timeline as soon as more concrete information is received.

The Minister acknowledged the significant impact this slowdown is having on businesses, which are particularly reliant on stable internet connectivity. However, she noted that a definitive timeline for repairing the damaged cable has not yet been provided by international organizations, as they are still assessing the full extent of the damage.

This recent incident appears to compound an existing challenge, as a global submarine cable cut near Saudi Arabia on September 6th has yet to be fully restored. That earlier disruption had already partially affected the bandwidth capacity on key systems like SMW4 and IMEWE, contributing to connectivity issues in Pakistan.

Beyond the immediate crisis, Minister Shaza Fatima also drew attention to a core internal issue: Pakistan’s ongoing shortage of broadband spectrum. She revealed that discussions are underway with PTCL officials to address this fundamental problem, which underlies broader internet performance concerns within the country.

As efforts continue both internationally and domestically, internet users in Pakistan await the restoration of normal service and further updates from authorities.