IT secretary discloses timeline for internet disruptions in Pakistan

By Muhammad MubashirPublished On 19 Sep 2025

ISLAMABAD: Federal Secretary Information Technology and Telecommunication Zarrar Hasham informed NA panel that repairing undersea internet cables damaged off the coast of Yemen could take four to five weeks.

Responding to a question during the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology, he explained that several cables near the coast of Yemen had been cut, The News reported.

"Many submarine cables near the coast of Yemen have been cut, while two cables coming to Pakistan have been affected; the restoration of the damaged cables may take four to five weeks", he told the NA committee. 

He told lawmakers that the situation in Yemen is complicated, saying two of the affected cables serve Pakistan, while four to five in the area have been damaged. 

IT secretary added that companies had shifted bandwidth to alternative routes to keep services running.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) said earlier this month that internet users in the country may experience disruptions due to submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters near Jeddah.

According to the statement issued by the internet company, the cuts occurred near Jeddah, affecting partial bandwidth capacity on the SMW4 and IMEWE systems, two of the key undersea cables that connect the country to global networks.

It further added that international partners were working on a priority to restore the damaged links, while local teams had arranged alternative bandwidth to mitigate the impact.