ISLAMABAD | August 20, 2025 — Pakistan faced one of its worst connectivity breakdowns on Tuesday evening as a nationwide internet outage severely impacted users. Global watchdog NetBlocks confirmed that overall internet access dropped to just 20% of normal levels, with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Ufone at the center of the crisis.
The disruption, which began after heavy rainfall in Karachi, spread across the country, affecting subscribers in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and other regions. Banking transactions, online business operations, and routine communication were disrupted, triggering widespread frustration on social media.
PTCL and Ufone at the Core of the Outage
NetBlocks reported: “Metrics show a major disruption to internet connectivity across Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20% of ordinary levels.”
PTCL acknowledged the outage in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “We are currently facing data connectivity challenges on our PTCL and Ufone services. Our teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused.”
Since other telecom operators rely on PTCL for wholesale internet, customers of Jazz, Zong, and Telenor also reported major slowdowns and outages.
Karachi Rains, Submarine Cable Faults Suspected
The Ministry of IT and Telecom indicated that the problem may have originated at a submarine cable landing station in Karachi’s Clifton area. Officials said no damage to international submarine cables was reported, but a “technical fault in the main hub” could have triggered the nationwide breakdown.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima also linked the disruption to severe power outages in Karachi. “The localised issue is temporary choking of the network as too many people were stranded at the same spot making calls simultaneously. With PTCL down, the load shifted to telephony networks, worsening congestion,” she said.
Flooding in Karachi worsened the problem, knocking out mobile towers and complicating diesel supply to generators. Officials confirmed that more than 200 telecom sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were damaged by recent floods, though restoration efforts are ongoing.
Impact on Millions of Users
- Connectivity Drop: National internet usage fell to 20% of ordinary levels (NetBlocks).
- Telecom Load: Karachi’s 12 million mobile subscribers were hit hardest as Ufone’s outage pushed traffic onto Jazz, Zong, and Telenor.
- Tower Damage: Over 200 telecom towers in KP were damaged by flooding, affecting Swat, Buner, and Shangla.
- Business Disruption: Online banking, corporate networks, and freelance operations stalled.
Residents across Karachi reported losing contact with family members during the rain emergency. Saher, a resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, told Dawn: “I received one call from my husband saying he was stuck on the street, but his phone isn’t connecting since sunset. I’m really worried.”
PTA and Government Response
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed that technical teams were working with PTCL to restore services. “Our teams are addressing the fault with urgency, and we expect gradual recovery,” a PTA spokesperson said.
While PTCL has yet to confirm the root cause, officials suggested a mix of infrastructure damage, technical faults at the landing station, and weather-related power failures contributed to the crisis.
What Comes Next
Experts say Pakistan’s reliance on a single backbone operator for wholesale internet creates recurring vulnerabilities. Telecom analysts warn that until diversified redundancy and infrastructure investment is made, large-scale internet outages will continue to disrupt the economy.
For now, users across Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and smaller towns await full restoration of services. PTCL has assured subscribers that restoration is a top priority.
