KARACHI: Pakistan is running one of the world’s most far-reaching surveillance systems outside China, Amnesty International has warned in a new report sparking outrage over privacy, censorship, and shrinking freedoms in the country.
According to the watchdog, millions of Pakistanis are being watched through a phone-tapping system and a Chinese-built internet firewall that censors social media platforms and monitors online activity.
How it works:
- The Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) allows spy agencies to tap into at least 4 million mobile phones at once.
- The Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0) can inspect internet traffic, block websites, and disrupt up to 2 million active sessions
- Together, these systems give authorities the power to listen, track, slow down, or completely block communications across the country.
Amnesty says both Chinese and Western technology was used to build this “digital eye,” which is already being deployed in the government’s crackdown on dissent, political opposition, and media voices.
The report cites the Islamabad High Court case of Bushra Bibi, wife of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose leaked phone calls in 2024 exposed how state surveillance was being weaponized. During hearings, defence ministries and intelligence agencies denied running such programs but Pakistan’s telecom regulator admitted it had ordered all major operators to install LIMS “for designated agencies.”
Critics say this surveillance is eroding freedom of expression, forcing citizens to self-censor both online and offline.
“Mass surveillance creates a chilling effect in society, whereby people are deterred from exercising their rights,” Amnesty said.
So far, Pakistan’s technology, information, and interior ministries have remained silent on Amnesty’s findings. The findings have also been reported by international media.
With political space already shrinking and digital censorship expanding, activists fear Pakistan may be headed towards a China-style surveillance state where every call, message, or post can be tracked.
