Authorities in Pakistan allegedly surveillance millions through phone-tapping and firewall intrusions, according to Amnesty's report.
In a recent report, human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused Pakistan's authorities of spying on millions of citizens using a phone-tapping system. The system, known as the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), is said to monitor at least 4 million mobile phones simultaneously.
The report does not specify the origin of the technology used in the phone-tapping system and internet firewall, but it is claimed that both Chinese and Western technology are involved. An earlier version of the phone-tapping system relied on Canada's Sandvine, while the current internet firewall is supplied by the Chinese company Geedge Networks.
The internet firewall, known as WMS 2.0, is responsible for inspecting internet traffic and can block 2 million active sessions at a time. It uses equipment from US-based Niagara Networks, software from Thales DIS (a unit of France's Thales), and servers from a Chinese state IT firm.
Amnesty's findings are based on a 2024 Islamabad High Court case filed by Bushra Bibi, the wife of former premier Imran Khan, after her private calls were leaked online. The report also alleges that the two systems, LIMS and WMS 2.0, function in tandem to monitor calls, texts, and block or slow websites and social media across the country.
Pakistan's defense ministries and intelligence agencies have denied running or having the capacity for phone tapping in court. Under questioning, the telecom regulator acknowledged it had already ordered phone companies to install LIMS for use by "designated agencies".
Monitoring centres for mobile calls are common globally, but internet filtering for the public is rare, according to Ben Wagner, Professor of Human Rights and Technology at IT:U. Datafusion, the company supplying the monitoring centres, stated that its centres are only sold to law enforcement and that it does not make LIMS.
AppLogic Networks, the successor to Sandvine, said it has grievance mechanisms to prevent misuse. Niagara Networks, the US-based company providing equipment for the internet firewall, stated it follows US export rules, does not know end users or how its products are used, and only sells tapping and aggregation gear.
The report by Amnesty International highlights concerns about the chilling effect mass surveillance can have on society, deterring people from exercising their rights online and offline. Pakistan currently blocks approximately 650,000 web links and restricts platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X. The number of phones under surveillance could be higher, as all four major mobile operators have been ordered to connect to LIMS.
