New Delhi, Oct 2 (NationPress) Authorities in Pakistan are currently surveilling over 4 million citizens utilizing sophisticated digital technologies acquired from foreign private firms, including China's Geedge Network, as highlighted in a recent report by Amnesty International, titled "Shadow of Control: Censorship and Mass Surveillance in Pakistan".

At the heart of Pakistan's surveillance initiative are two potent systems: the Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0), which functions as a national firewall capable of blocking internet access, virtual private networks (VPNs), and specific websites, and the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), a mass surveillance platform that enables authorities to intercept phone calls, text messages, online activities, and even geolocation data through local telecommunications providers.

LIMS is bolstered by technology mainly provided by a German firm, Utimaco, and an Emirati company, Datafusion. Utimaco's LIMS allows officials to analyze subscriber data from telecom companies, with the processed data being accessible via Datafusion's Monitoring Centre Next Generation.

Although the methods have evolved, Pakistan has been surveilling its citizens for decades. In the 1990s, these activities contributed to the rise and fall of governments, and the surveillance practices have expanded significantly over the years, as reported by The Diplomat by Osama Ahmad.

Nighat Dad, the founder and executive director of the Digital Rights Foundation, remarked to The Diplomat: "Research and reports indicate that Pakistan has established considerable surveillance capabilities over the last decade."

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that state surveillance was unlawful, deeming it a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which safeguards the right to privacy.

"Despite legal and institutional protections and Pakistan's international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to prevent arbitrary interference, the lack of a comprehensive data protection law and regulation of surveillance technologies renders citizens susceptible to harassment, mistreatment, and ongoing monitoring, undermining the effectiveness of existing safeguards," stated Dad.

Pakistani authorities justify their infringement on citizens' digital rights by citing security concerns or moral issues. However, there are growing apprehensions that these actions are predominantly aimed at stifling dissent.

Following Pakistan's ban on X in February 2024, users accessed the social media platform through VPNs, prompting the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to devise a plan to regulate VPNs by mandating registration. The Council of Islamic Ideology labeled the use of VPNs as un-Islamic. The government claimed that the crackdown on VPNs was due to their misuse by militant groups. More relevantly, X was being utilized at that time to organize protests by individuals affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as noted in the report.

The authorities have also consistently targeted TikTok, asserting that it promotes immorality. Recently, a lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly proposed a resolution to impose a permanent ban on the app based on moral grounds.

In addition to the blanket bans on social media platforms, Pakistani authorities are also digitally surveilling citizens. Journalists, activists, and politicians are believed to be among the primary targets of mass surveillance in Pakistan, according to the report.

At times, private video and audio recordings of opposition politicians are leaked to undermine them and gain a political advantage. This unethical tactic has long been a feature of Pakistani politics.

"While surveillance in Pakistan is claimed to be for national security reasons, it fundamentally aims to silence dissent throughout the country," remarked Usama Khilji, director of Bolo Bhi, to The Diplomat. "Most of the victims of surveillance are political opposition members, journalists, or activists focused on human rights or other critical social issues."

Although the military often faces scrutiny for mass surveillance and similar practices, other institutions, such as the judiciary and Parliament, also share accountability for this unchecked conduct, as they fail to prevent the designated authorities from executing such operations.

"State institutions are complicit in this extensive surveillance because illegal surveillance occurs without individual consent and without a court-issued warrant," Khilji stated.

While the findings of Amnesty International are concerning, they align with Pakistan's long-standing history of digital repression. From restricting access to X (formerly Twitter) to internet outages, amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), and other repressive measures, the state has persistently curtailed digital rights and free expression, the report concluded.