Due to the ongoing political unrest that the country is experiencing as a result of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s detention, people’s lives and businesses have been badly impacted.
The majority of point-of-sale transactions in Pakistan’s digital payment systems decreased by about 50%, and the information technology (IT) industry is predicted to experience daily losses of $3–4 million.
Hopes grew that the internet services may return after a nearly 72-hour break following the Supreme Court’s most recent order declaring Khan’s May 9 arrest unconstitutional and requesting that he go before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) tomorrow (Friday) for additional instructions. In response to a phone call from Geo.tv, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Director Public Relations Malhat Ubaid stated, “No new instructions received from the Ministry of Interior as of yet,” indicating that it would take some time for the connections to be restored.
According to sources, the telecom operators’ revenue has decreased by approximately Rs820 million as a result of the internet suspension, which has had a significant negative impact on the industry given the precarious status of the economy.
On the directives of the interior ministry, the PTA cut down mobile broadband services nationwide on Tuesday night. This was the longest such uninterrupted closure in a nation that frequently shuts down communications to quiet dissent.
In addition, the government has blocked popular social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and YouTube services are taking longer to rein in the dissemination of misinformation and public fear brought on by “unwanted information.”
According to data given by 1LINK on POS through its platform, according to Reuters, the volume of international payment card transactions decreased by 45% on Wednesday from an average daily volume of 127,000 during the week of May 1 to 7 to roughly 68,000 on May 10.
On May 10, the amount of international credit card transactions per day fell by 46%, from 606 million rupees ($2.14 million) to 330 million rupees ($1.16 million).
