Islamabad, Pakistan – , In January, as Pakistani citizens battled with poor internet quality after the country began deploying a national firewall last year, some of them , tagged Elon Musk on X, urging him to provide services from Starlink, the satellite internet provider the world’s richest man founded in 2019.
Musk responded by saying that SpaceX, his company behind Starlink, was awaiting the Pakistani government’s approval.
That wait has turned political.
Pakistan is at its own negotiating table as nations around the world grapple with the geopolitical chaos brought on by US President Donald Trump’s unconventional dealings and threats a month into office. Musk, a close Trump ally, has a reputation for having a listening ear.
Pakistan, a country of 241 million people, banned X (formerly Twitter) in February 2024 ahead of national elections.
The Ministry of Interior issued an order to stop the social media platform, which Musk purchased for $44 billion in late 2022, because it violated government regulations to remove content that the government deemed objectionable.
A year later, using the platform remains illegal in the country – though Pakistan, with fewer than five million X subscribers, was not a major market for the social media firm. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela and Turkmenistan are the only other countries that have banned X.
Now, Starlink is emerging as a test of the Pakistan-Musk relationship. More than 219 million people have followed Musk on X in recent weeks, and he has posted about child sexual assault cases in the UK, some of which involved Pakistani men, that occurred more than ten years ago.
Matter of national interest?
In January, Musk tweeted “yes” to the generalization “Asian” and pointed out that the UK grooming gangs were led by “Pakistani” men, giving the impression that he was in agreement with the statement.
Legislators in Pakistan reacted in outrage and suggested that Starlink’s issuance of an operating license should be conditional upon the tech mogul’s apology for his remarks about the nation. Legislators debating Starlink’s license request brought up the comment made by Pakistani lawmaker Palwasha Khan.
The big question: Should Pakistan base its decision on business and national security considerations, or should it factor in Musk’s political proximity to Trump or the billionaire’s comments?
To Ahmed Atteeq Anwer, a legislator from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and a member of the National Assembly’s committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, the country’s decision shouldn’t factor in even Musk – let alone Trump.
“This is a matter of internet infrastructure and national interest”, he told Al Jazeera. “Starlink can help remote areas where fiber optic cables are unfeasible to use. However, any foreign business operating in Pakistan must follow our laws and regulations, with top priorities occupied with national security.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Musk’s dual business and political affiliations complicated decisions about Starlink – a satellite-based service that, if operational in Pakistan, could allow users to bypass the country’s firewall.
“Pakistan must safeguard its interests. We are aware of concerns regarding data security, privacy and encryption. While modern technology is essential for progress, laws must be upheld in letter and spirit”, Anwer said.
Is Pakistan ‘ closed for business’?
Although Starlink has been operating in Pakistan since June 2021, additional licensing is required.
A senior official at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s telecom regulator, explained the three-step approval process.
“First, they need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan]SECP], which Starlink has completed. The official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, “they must then obtain approval from the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board [PSARB] and then they will approach us at PTA for final clearance.”
The space regulatory body is currently reviewing the Starlink application, he continued.
According to a statement from PSARB to Al Jazeera, “Starlink had already registered with SECP, so PSARB initiated direct engagement with SpaceX Headquarters in the USA]Starlink’s parent company] when approached by Starlink Pakistan”.
The statement continued, “Deliberations between the two sides have continued unabated,” adding that the application has been evaluated by PSARB.
SpaceX did not respond to Al Jazeera’s queries regarding the discussions.
But the official at the PTA, the agency that must finally sign off for Starlink to start operations, advocated caution.
Because of their frequency differences with those of other satellites already in orbit, these satellites may cause interference. The official emphasized that the space regulator must make sure that the country’s existing satellites aren’t disrupted.
But Wahaj us Siraj, CEO of NayaTel, one of Pakistan’s major internet service providers, suggested that the concerns over Starlink were overblown.
“It would actually provide an additional option for Pakistani internet users, which is beneficial”, Siraj told Al Jazeera.
The government blamed faults in Pakistan’s submarine cables, which connect the nation to the world’s internet infrastructure, for a number of significant online problems over the past year.
Pakistan is ranked among the lowest in the world in terms of internet speeds according to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index.  , According to the latest ranking, the country is positioned at 96 out of 104 in mobile internet speed, whereas in the fixed broadband line category, it is placed at 138 out of 152 countries.
“Starlink’s regulatory approval should have been obtained within 90 days at the most,” the statement states. However, licensing and acquiring no-objection certificates]NOCs] can take years, which discourages both local and foreign businesses”, Siraj said.
He continued, “It’s like telling investors to move their money elsewhere because Pakistan is closed to business.”
As the country struggles to cope with a long-term economic crisis, the Pakistani government has been having trouble attracting foreign investment. The nation, which is currently on its 25th loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is worth $7 billion, narrowly avoided default in 2023.
Impact on US-Pakistan relations
Anwer, the PML-N politician, dismissed the idea that Pakistan’s approach to Starlink would impact relations with the US.
“Most countries intervene when it serves their interests,” the general consensus is. We saw this during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and again after 9/11 when the US engaged Pakistan”, he said. “Economic matters are separate from national interests”.
Qandil Abbas, a professor of international relations at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, shared a similar view.
“Musk is only an adviser to Trump in the government,” he said. While he is important in business relations, Pakistan should focus on state-to-state diplomacy”, he told Al Jazeera.
As the administration’s controversies grow and some of Musk’s moves are receiving more and more criticism, Abbas argued that there was no guarantee Musk would remain in Trump’s inner circle.
