After the arrest of the former prime minister of Pakistan “Imran Khan” on 9th May 2023, protests erupted in the entire country. Due to which, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the internet service in Pakistan will remain shut down for an indefinite time.
This decision to shut down mobile internet services was taken on the directives of the Ministry of Interior.
Big social media platform websites including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are completely restricted. Mobile internet services are completely shut down.
The suspension of the internet service in Pakistan impacted so many businesses and individuals who were operating and earning online especially the freelancers of Pakistan.
The Importance of Freelancing in Pakistan
At this time, Pakistan is struggling to keep itself safe from default. And Pakistan is taking funds from the International Monetary Fund IMF. Also, there are very less employment opportunities in Pakistan, so many Pakistanis are working online and offering their services online as freelancers to earn money.
Freelancers’ earning not only help their selves and their families but also helps to increase the export remittance of Pakistan.
The Pakistani freelancers earned and brought export remittance of $397.328 million in the fiscal year 2022. It was $396.243 million in the financial year 2020-2021 and in 2022 it was 2.74% good growth.
The export remittance that freelancers brought into Pakistan was 14.77% of the total information and technologies (ICT) export remittance which was $2.616 billion during fiscal year 2022.
Most freelancers in Pakistan offer their services on different freelance platforms such as Fiverr.com, Upwork.com, and freelancer.com, etc.
Many freelancers find clients and get freelance work from social media like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
No matter if Pakistani freelancer lives in the city area or village area, they are connected with the entire world through the internet and provide their professional services.
There are also so many students, females, and disabled persons who are freelancing and earning by sitting in their homes. Pakistan ranks within the top 10 countries with the fastest-growing earnings for freelancers. Whereas Pakistan’s rank is 4th.
Suspension of Internet Service in Pakistan Effected Freelancers
The whole system of freelancers works on the Internet.
They find their clients and freelance jobs online, and they communicate with their clients online, after completing the work they deliver the work to their clients online, and they receive payments from the clients online.
At a time, a freelancer is in contact with different clients, communicating with them and working on their projects.
The sudden suspension of internet service in Pakistan for an indefinite time was shocking news for all the freelancers in Pakistan. The suspension of the internet impacted freelancers in Pakistan very negatively.
Not all freelancers have broadband internet connections like PTCL, etc. Many freelancers use mobile data internet and use its hotspot to connect their laptops with it but their internet is not working now.
Due to the suspension of the internet, so many freelancers in Pakistan got completely disconnected from their clients. They were not able to contact their clients.
Many freelancers could not complete and fulfill the orders and they missed the deadlines. Freelancers could not avail the new freelance work opportunities and could not reply to lots of new potential clients.
This internet suspension did a huge loss to lots of freelancers in Pakistan, they could not complete the in-progress work, they could not get the new freelance work, and their relationship with the clients was affected due to complete silence (no communication).
I am also a freelancer, I am working on Fiverr.com and Upwork.com freelance platforms. I also have a remote team with me who helps me with my projects.
I am writing this blog post at 2 AM on 12th May, me and my team having so many troubles after this internet suspension, the social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are still completely restricted. The mobile sims’ internet is completely suspended.
Alternative Options for Freelancers
Freelancers who are facing internet issues especially those who are using mobile data internet, can go to their those friends’ or relatives’ places to use their internet who has a broadband internet connection like PTCL, etc.
If you were using mobile data internet, it is the only solution right now for you to request someone to allow you to use their broadband internet so that you can at least explain to your clients the current situation.
Many Pakistanis are using virtual private networks (VPN) to use social media websites that are not working. But I do not recommend using it because the government of Pakistan blocked those social media websites and if someone opens them with VPN, they can take action.
Conclusion
Sudden suspension of internet service in Pakistan for an indefinite time in Pakistan caused a huge loss to freelancers who were using mobile data internet.
The freelancing industry is growing in Pakistan. There are millions of freelancers working online in Pakistan. The export remittance is also increased in 2022 as compared to 2020-2021.
The government of Pakistan should give facilities to freelancers to make their process easy so that they can increase export remittance. For example, better internet service in Pakistan, payment gateway options for freelancers so that they can easily receive the payments from their international clients.
Internet service in Pakistan should be restored as soon as possible because suspension of mobile broadband internet service in Pakistan due to political unrest has result in so much financial losses for Freelancers.
The government of Pakistan should always think about the big Freelancing industry before doing such type of internet suspension in future.
