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Pakistan's Digital Surveillance Evolves Into State-Controlled Censorship System

Pakistan's surveillance infrastructure has transformed over two decades into a centralized, state-controlled system for censorship and monitoring. The regime employs technologies like Deep Packet Inspection, a national internet firewall built with Chinese assistance, and the mandatory Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS). The LIMS system grants intelligence agencies instant access to citizens' call logs, messages, and browsing history without warrants, a capability exposed in the Islamabad High Court's Audio Leaks Case. Consequently, global watchdog Freedom House classifies Pakistan as 'Not Free' in terms of internet freedom.

Key Points: Pakistan's State-Controlled Surveillance & Internet Censorship

  • From fragmented to unified state control
  • Use of Chinese firewall technology
  • Mandatory Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS)
  • Mass warrantless surveillance exposed in court
  • Ranked 'Not Free' for internet freedom
2 min read

Pakistan's decades-long surveillance transforms to state-controlled censorship: Report

Report details Pakistan's evolution to a unified digital control regime using Chinese tech, LIMS, and national firewalls for mass surveillance.

"Pakistan's surveillance trajectory shows a steady escalation from early mass‑monitoring to a sophisticated, multi‑layered digital control regime. - European Times report"

Islamabad, Jan 17

Pakistan's surveillance regime has evolved over the last two decades, from fragmented partnerships into a unified, state‑controlled censorship and monitoring system, including metadata harvesting, device intrusion, Deep Packet Inspection filtering and national-level internet control, a report stated on Saturday.

It added that since 2024, infrastructural, legal, and policy changes have fundamentally altered the internet experience in Pakistan.

"Pakistan's surveillance trajectory shows a steady escalation from early mass‑monitoring to a sophisticated, multi‑layered digital control regime. A 2013 report by Citizen Lab revealed the presence of command-and-control servers for FinFisher, a commercial network intrusion malware capable of intercepting communications, accessing private data, and recording audio and video from computers or mobile devices in Pakistan. The server was employed on a network owned by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), a now-privatised state-owned entity, with 62 per cent government shareholding," a report in European Times detailed.

According to the report, Pakistan tested a national internet 'firewall' in 2024, leveraging Chinese technology, to bolster the government's web monitoring capabilities and control over popular platforms, enabling selective blocking of features on apps or websites. The system, it said, was deployed at the country's key internet gateways and the data centres of mobile operators and major internet service providers, sparking multiple complaints of poor internet connectivity.

"Mere months after the controversial February 2024 general election, all telecom operators were mandated by the regulator to install what is known as the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), giving intel agencies instant access to citizens' call logs, private messages, browsing history and much more. The Lawful Intercept Management System is yet another surveillance mechanism employed by the Pakistani state, and can be used to retrieve the unencrypted data of any consumer, eavesdrop on their calls, and read text messages," the report mentioned.

"The Audio Leaks Case before the Islamabad High Court exposed how the state has been conducting mass, warrantless surveillance through LIMS. Testimony revealed that agencies could tap into telecom networks with a single click, using SIM, IMEI, or phone numbers to automatically pull SMS records, call data, metadata, and even full content streams, audio, video, and search histories into central monitoring centres," it further stated.

In its latest report, global democracy watchdog Freedom House ranked Pakistan 27th out of 100, classifying it as 'Not Free' in terms of internet freedom, citing government actions to expand censorship practices.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
The part about the "single click" access to all private data is chilling. While national security is important, such warrantless mass surveillance turns every citizen into a suspect. It erodes the very foundation of trust between a state and its people. A lesson for all democracies.
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Aman W
Reading this makes me appreciate our Supreme Court's stance on the right to privacy as a fundamental right. The Puttaswamy judgment was a landmark. We must remain vigilant to ensure such draconian systems don't find any support here, under any pretext. 🇮🇳
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Sarah B
The report mentions the role of Chinese technology in building their national firewall. This is a worrying trend of digital authoritarianism being exported. It impacts not just citizens of that country, but can destabilize the entire region's cyber security.
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Vikram M
"Not Free" in internet freedom says it all. When you can't speak freely online, you're not free offline either. My heart goes out to the ordinary citizens, journalists, and activists there who just want to express themselves. Freedom of expression is non-negotiable.
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Karthik V
While we must critique this, let's also do some introspection. Our own government has proposed and sometimes implemented monitoring systems. The balance between security and privacy is delicate. We need strong, independent oversight for any surveillance, not just blanket powers to agencies.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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