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.
As countries around the world grapple with the geopolitical chaos unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s unconventional deals and threats one month into office, Pakistan finds itself in the midst of its own struggle over how to manage a relationship with Musk, who as a close Trump ally, has the president’s ear.
Pakistan, a country of 241 million people, banned X (formerly Twitter) in February 2024 ahead of national elections.
The social media platform, which Musk purchased for $44bn in late 2022, was blocked under orders from the Ministry of Interior for non-compliance with government directives to remove content that the government viewed as problematic.
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. In recent weeks, Musk, who has more than 219 million followers on X, has posted about child sexual assault cases in the United Kingdom, some of which involved Pakistani men and took place more than a decade ago.
Matter of national interest?
In January, when Indian lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi objected to the generic use of the term “Asian” and emphasised that the UK grooming gangs were led by “Pakistani” men, Musk responded with a tweet saying “yes”, appearing to endorse the view.
That sparked outrage from Pakistani legislators, who suggested that the issuance of an operating licence to Starlink should be conditional upon the tech mogul offering an apology for his remarks about the country. Pakistani lawmaker Palwasha Khan said that legislators debating Starlink’s licence request brought up the grooming gangs comment.
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 benefit remote areas where deploying fibre optic cables is unfeasible. But any international company operating in Pakistan must comply with our laws and regulations, with national security being the top priority.”
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 registered in Pakistan since June 2021, it requires further licensing to become fully operational.
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. Next, they must gain approval from the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board [PSARB], after which they will approach us at PTA for final clearance,” the official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
“The Starlink application is currently under review at the space regulatory body,” he added.
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 application has been evaluated by PSARB, and deliberations between the two sides have continued unabated,” the statement added.
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.
“These satellites may cause interference, as their frequencies can conflict with other satellites already in orbit. The space regulator must ensure that existing satellites serving Pakistan are not disrupted,” the official explained.
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.
Pakistan has had several major online disruptions over the past year, for which the government blamed faults in the submarine cables that connect the country to the global internet infrastructure.
In fact, in the Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Pakistan is ranked among the lowest globally for internet speeds in the world. 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.
“Regulatory permission for Starlink should have been granted within 90 days at most. However, licensing and acquiring no-objection certificates [NOCs] can take years, which discourages both local and foreign businesses,” Siraj said.
“It’s like telling investors to take their money elsewhere because Pakistan is closed for business,” he added.
The Pakistani government has been struggling to attract foreign investment as it grapples with a prolonged economic crisis. In 2023, the country narrowly avoided default and is currently on its 25th loan programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), worth $7bn.
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.
“The bigger picture is that major powers intervene when it serves their interests. 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 holds no official government position beyond being an adviser to Trump. While he is important in business relations, Pakistan should focus on state-to-state diplomacy,” he told Al Jazeera.
Abbas argued that there was no guarantee Musk would remain in Trump’s inner circle, especially as controversies surrounding his role in the administration mount and some of his moves face increasing pushback.
“With this in mind, Pakistan should engage with Musk strictly on business terms, not political ones,” he said.
