Control vs Growth: Why Pakistan’s Digital Future Is Being Suffocated
A quiet but widening gap is emerging between Pakistan’s younger generation and those who hold power. It is not merely generational; it is philosophical. On one side is a population that wants speed, access, opportunity, and global integration. On the other is a system increasingly focused on control, restriction, and short-term optics. The result is a growing disconnect that threatens Pakistan’s economic and digital future. Generation Z wants faster internet because their livelihoods depend on it. Freelancing, remote work, digital commerce, cloud services, and content creation are not luxuries—they are income streams. Yet policy decisions increasingly prioritize stronger firewalls, tighter controls, and heavier regulation under the banner of “security.” While cybersecurity is a legitimate concern, the purpose of firewalls was never mass surveillance, content policing, or political monitoring. Globally, firewalls exist to prevent cyberattacks, data breaches, and infrastructure compromis...