How Pakistan is tapping phones of 40 lakh people simultaneously, using Chinese firewall to block internet access

Pakistan is reportedly conducting one of the largest surveillance operations outside China, targeting millions of its citizens. A new report by Amnesty International reveals that the country is using a combination of phone-tapping systems and a Chinese-built internet firewall to monitor communications and restrict online freedoms.

According to the report, Pakistan’s Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS) can track at least 4 million mobile phones simultaneously, while the Web Monitoring System 2.0 (WMS 2.0)—a Chinese-designed firewall—filters internet traffic, blocking or slowing access to websites and social media platforms nationwide. Together, these systems allow authorities to intercept calls and messages while controlling online content.

“Surveillance technologies have enabled the state of Pakistan to monitor, silence, and repress dissent, often without legal justification or adequate oversight,” the Amnesty report said.


The report also highlights that the surveillance infrastructure relies on technology from multiple countries. The firewall is provided by Chinese firm Geedge Networks, using equipment from U.S.-based Niagara Networks and software from France’s Thales Group. The phone-tapping system reportedly includes hardware from Germany’s Utimaco, deployed through UAE-based Datafusion.

The findings draw on a 2024 Islamabad High Court case filed by Bushra Bibi, wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, after her private calls were leaked online. During the proceedings, Pakistan’s telecom regulator confirmed that mobile operators were ordered to install LIMS for “designated agencies,” despite denials from the country’s defence ministry regarding phone surveillance capabilities.

Amnesty further reported that Pakistan is actively blocking over 650,000 web links, including popular platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Regions such as Balochistan have been particularly affected, with extended internet blackouts amid allegations of military abuses.

The rights group warned that this level of surveillance creates a “chilling effect,” deterring citizens from exercising their rights online and offline, and representing a sharp escalation in government control over private communications.

“International companies and exporting states bear significant responsibility for enabling this,” the report added. “Alongside the spyware crisis affecting civil society, Amnesty International and other organizations have uncovered a growing problem spanning more than a decade: the unregulated export of mass surveillance and censorship technologies used against civil society.”