ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is conducting large-scale surveillance of millions of citizens through a combination of phone-tapping technology and a Chinese-built internet firewall that censors online platforms, Amnesty International said in a report released Tuesday. The rights watchdog described the programme as one of the most expansive examples of state monitoring outside China.
According to Amnesty, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies operate a Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) capable of monitoring at least 4 million mobile phones simultaneously, alongside WMS 2.0, a Chinese-supplied firewall that can inspect internet traffic and block up to 2 million active sessions. Together, the systems allow authorities to tap calls and messages, as well as restrict or slow access to websites and social media platforms.
The report said Pakistan’s surveillance infrastructure relies on both Chinese and Western technologies, powering what it called a widening crackdown on dissent, political opposition, and free expression. Restrictions on media and political freedoms have intensified since the military’s break with former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022, which was followed by his imprisonment and the detention of thousands of his supporters.
Amnesty said its findings were informed in part by a 2024 Islamabad High Court case filed by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, after recordings of her private calls were leaked. While defence and intelligence officials denied possessing wiretapping capabilities, Pakistan’s telecom regulator acknowledged ordering mobile operators to install LIMS for use by “designated agencies.”
Authorities have also blocked about 650,000 web links and restricted access to major platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, with the heaviest curbs falling on insurgency-hit Balochistan, where entire districts have faced years-long internet blackouts.
Foreign Technology Suppliers
Amnesty traced the firewall to Geedge Networks, a Chinese company linked to state-owned firms in Beijing. The system incorporates equipment from U.S.-based Niagara Networks, software from Thales DIS (a unit of France’s Thales), and servers from a Chinese state IT firm. An earlier version used products from Canada’s Sandvine.
The LIMS phone-tapping technology was reportedly supplied by Germany’s Utimaco and deployed through monitoring centres managed by UAE-based Datafusion. Amnesty said the combined system represents a troubling escalation of digital repression.
“Having both phone-tapping and nationwide internet filtering constitutes a troubling development from a human rights perspective,” said Ben Wagner, Professor of Human Rights and Technology at IT:U in Austria. “It suggests greater restrictions on freedom of expression and privacy will become more common as these tools become easier to implement.”
Most of the foreign companies named did not respond to Amnesty’s findings. Niagara said it complies with U.S. export rules and does not monitor end-users, while Datafusion insisted its centres are sold only to law enforcement.
Amnesty warned that Pakistan’s expanding surveillance network risks creating a pervasive “chilling effect” across society, deterring citizens from exercising their rights both online and offline.
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