Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has confirmed that ongoing internet disruptions across Pakistan are due to a submarine cable cut near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In a statement on Monday, she acknowledged the impact on businesses and said she was in contact with PTCL officials to monitor the situation. “It is correct that slow internet is affecting businesses,” she stated, adding that assessments are underway to determine the full extent of the damage.
PTCL previously reported that two major undersea cable systems—SMW4 and IMEWE—had been affected, reducing Pakistan’s international bandwidth capacity. While alternative arrangements have been made to minimize the impact, full restoration depends on international repair teams, who have yet to provide a timeline.
The outage has not been limited to Pakistan. Users in the UAE and other Gulf countries have also reported slow connections. The Red Sea, where the cut occurred, is a key global telecom route and a challenging environment for repairs. Experts note that nearly 70% of such incidents are caused by ship anchors.
This is not the first disruption in the region—three undersea cables were similarly damaged in March 2024, affecting internet and cloud services across multiple countries.
