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Swarajya Staff
Nov 15, 2019, 05:17 PM | Updated 05:17 PM IST
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Controversial Pakistani politician Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, who is currently serving as the country’s Science and Technology Minister, has kicked off another Twitter storm after suggesting that Pakistan could provide internet to people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chaudhry stated that internet was a fundamental and claimed that he had asked Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) about the possibility of providing satellite internet in Kashmir.
"Internet is considered a fundamental right nowadays.. I have asked SPRACO to check the feasibility of providing internet to caged citizens of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir via satellite" - @fawadchaudhry pic.twitter.com/nre1PxoJqG
— Fawad Chaudhry (Updates) (@FawadPTIUpdates) November 14, 2019
Ironically, Pakistan itself lags behind much of the world when it comes to internet penetration; as of 2019, only 33 per cent in the country enjoy access to the web, while the coverage of 4G services in the country is just 58.9 per cent.
Twitter users were quick to mock Chaudhry’s statement, with some Pakistanis themselves talking about the sorry state of internet services in most public spaces in their country itself.
Some Twitter users also pointed out the hypocrisy of the Pakistani minister in light of the fact that Turbat, the second largest province in Balochistan, has been without internet access for the last four years.