Satellite-based internet provider Starlink has been granted a temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC) to operate in Pakistan, according to a statement from the IT Ministry, even as the country’s lawmakers had previously linked permission to an apology from Elon Musk over ‘grooming gangs’ remarks.
Starlink Services, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is one of the most technologically advanced companies worldwide, offering internet through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Previously, Musk had confirmed in early January that Starlink applied to launch internet services in Pakistan but was "waiting for approval from the government."
“Starlink has been issued a temporary NOC with the consensus of all security and regulatory agencies,” Dawn News on Friday quoted IT Minister Shaza Fatima as saying.
“Starlink’s arrival in Pakistan will mark the formal launch of satellite internet services.”
TRT Global - India regularly ranks among the top five countries globally for the number of requests made by a government to remove social media content.
‘Apology for erratic attacks’
Pakistan’s lawmakers had linked permission for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service with an apology from the tech mogul for his remarks that irked people in the South Asian nation two months ago.
TRT World reported in January that a committee of senators that gives policy input for the IT and telecom sector had raised concerns about Musk’s online vitriolic that linked Pakistan to the UK’s ‘grooming gangs’ scandal.
Musk’s statements about grooming gangs, which refer to a case in the UK involving individuals of Pakistani origin, sparked outrage in Pakistan and among the diaspora. Critics argue that such remarks fuel xenophobia and are based on over generalisations of complex societal issues.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had condemned Musk’s erratic attacks on the government, suggesting his “lies and misinformation” on grooming gangs were amplifying the “poison” of the far right.
The ‘grooming gangs’ scandal refers to a series of criminal cases in England where organised groups sexually exploited young girls, primarily in the north and Midlands, between 1997 and 2013.
