Pakistan's Growing Surveillance: A Chilling Union of Technology and Authority

Amnesty International has accused Pakistan of comprehensive state surveillance using a phone-tapping system and a Chinese-built internet firewall. Employing both Chinese and Western technology, Pakistan's surveillance has clamped down on dissent and free speech. Amnesty's report highlights growing restrictions on political and media freedoms.

Amnesty International has released a new report accusing Pakistan of implementing a broad state surveillance system that employs a phone-tapping network and a Chinese-designed internet firewall. This surveillance primarily targets dissent and further restricts free speech, marking an escalation in the country's monitoring capabilities.

The report highlights Pakistan's use of both Chinese and Western technology to bolster these efforts, revealing that monitoring systems such as the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) and the WMS 2.0 firewall can track millions of mobile phones and internet sessions. This crackdown on civil liberties intensified following the military's break with former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022.

Despite denials from Pakistani authorities regarding their engagement in such surveillance activities, Amnesty's findings show a growing trend of political and media censorship. The report also points to foreign technology suppliers, underscoring the global trade network sustaining this surveillance apparatus.