Amnesty Report on Pakistan’s Surveillance and Censorship

Amnesty International has released a detailed report alleging that Pakistan has put in place a large-scale surveillance and censorship mechanism that allows authorities to monitor citizens’ phone communications and control access to online information. The report, published in early September 2025, has raised important questions about privacy, data protection, and the regulatory framework governing digital technologies in Pakistan.

Surveillance Tools Identified

According to Amnesty, two main systems form the backbone of the country’s monitoring infrastructure:

• Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS): Installed on mobile operators’ networks, LIMS allows interception of phone calls, text messages, metadata, browsing history, and location information. Amnesty reports that the system has the capacity to monitor up to four million mobile phones simultaneously.
  
• Web Monitoring System 2.0 (WMS 2.0): A national internet firewall that enables deep packet inspection, filtering, and blocking of websites. The system can also slow down or throttle connections. Amnesty’s findings suggest that WMS 2.0 can control up to two million internet sessions at the same time.
  

These technologies are said to be supported by international suppliers. Amnesty’s investigation mentions companies and entities based in China, Germany, the United States, the UAE, France, and Canada as being linked to hardware or software used in the systems.

The use of surveillance technology in Pakistan is not new but has been subject to legal and public scrutiny in recent years.

• Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act 1996 grants the government powers to intercept communications in the interest of national security. Officials have cited this provision as the legal basis for phone tapping and monitoring.
  
• In 2024, leaked audio recordings involving political figures led to legal petitions. Telecom companies admitted in court that they were directed to install LIMS, bringing the system into the public spotlight.
  
• The Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Lahore High Court (LHC) have both ruled that surveillance without a codified legal mechanism is unlawful. The IHC, in particular, held that phone tapping cannot be carried out without specific legislation, beyond the general provisions of the 1996 Act.
  

These developments highlight the legal ambiguity around surveillance, as the government points to existing laws while courts emphasize the absence of detailed rules or oversight.

Government Response

So far, there has been limited official response to Amnesty International’s latest report. Ministries and regulatory bodies, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), have not issued detailed statements. Previous government positions, however, have defended surveillance practices as tools for counter-terrorism, national security, and public safety.

Role of Telecom and Technology Companies

The report also underscores the role of telecom operators and foreign technology firms. Amnesty has called on these companies to adopt stricter due diligence practices and ensure compliance with human rights standards when supplying or installing surveillance infrastructure.

Broader Context

Amnesty’s findings arrive at a time when digital communication has become central to Pakistan’s economy, governance, and social interaction. With over 190 million mobile connections and rapidly growing internet penetration, any monitoring system has wide-reaching implications.

The report suggests that while surveillance is framed as a security measure, it also raises concerns about privacy, freedom of expression, and the absence of robust data protection laws in Pakistan. The country does not yet have a comprehensive data protection framework, though drafts of a Personal Data Protection Bill have circulated in recent years.

International Reaction

Amnesty International has urged Pakistan to:

• Establish clear legal safeguards for surveillance.
  
• Ensure independent oversight and judicial authorization for interception.
  
• Provide transparency around the extent and purpose of monitoring.
  
• Prevent misuse of surveillance against journalists, political figures, and human rights defenders.
  

The organization has also called on international companies supplying these technologies to review their role and prevent potential human rights violations.

Conclusion

The Amnesty International report sheds light on the scale of Pakistan’s surveillance capacity through phone tapping and internet firewall systems. With the ability to monitor millions of devices, these systems mark a significant development in the state’s control over digital communication. As legal challenges continue and global attention grows, the debate over surveillance, regulation, and citizens’ digital rights is likely to remain active in Pakistan’s policy and technology landscape.

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