Pakistan’s surveillance state has come under renewed global scrutiny after Amnesty International revealed that authorities are monitoring more than 4 million citizens using advanced foreign-built digital technologies. The report, titled Shadow of Control: Censorship and Mass Surveillance in Pakistan, highlights how tools from Chinese, German, and Emirati companies are enabling large-scale intrusion into the private lives of Pakistanis.
At the heart of the operation are two systems: the Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0) and the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS). WMS functions as a national firewall capable of blocking websites, social media platforms, and virtual private networks (VPNs). LIMS, supplied by German firm Utimaco and Emirati company Datafusion, enables authorities to intercept calls, text messages, internet usage, and even geolocation data via telecom operators.
While officials justify such measures on grounds of national security and morality, Amnesty warns that the systems are being used primarily to stifle dissent. Journalists, activists, and opposition politicians are believed to be among the main targets, with leaked private recordings often weaponised in Pakistan’s political battles.
Experts say the infrastructure is the culmination of decades of surveillance practices. Nighat Dad of the Digital Rights Foundation noted that Pakistan has steadily built its capabilities over the past decade, despite a 1997 Supreme Court ruling that declared state surveillance unconstitutional under Article 14’s right to privacy. “The absence of a comprehensive data protection law leaves citizens vulnerable to harassment and abuse,” she said.
Critics argue that the military, judiciary, and Parliament share responsibility for enabling unchecked surveillance. Usama Khilji of rights group Bolo Bhi said that the majority of those targeted are opposition leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders. “Though surveillance is justified as a security measure, it is essentially to silence dissent,” he added.
The crackdown has extended to social media platforms. Earlier this year, X (formerly Twitter) was banned after being used to mobilise protests by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Authorities also sought to regulate VPNs by requiring registration, with Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology even declaring VPN use “un-Islamic.” TikTok, meanwhile, continues to face calls for a permanent ban on moral grounds.
Amnesty’s findings paint a bleak picture of digital freedoms in Pakistan, where state surveillance and censorship have grown more sophisticated. The combination of legal loopholes, advanced foreign surveillance technologies, and political motivations has created an environment where privacy and free expression are increasingly under threat.
