Amnesty International’s report “Shadows of Control” reveals Pakistan’s unlawful mass surveillance, enabled by foreign technology, through systems like WMS 2.0 and LIMS. The findings expose threats to privacy, free expression, and civic space, silencing journalists and civil society voices.
Pakistan is facing serious accusations of running unlawful mass surveillance operations and expanding censorship systems that intrude into the private lives of ordinary citizens, according to a new report released by Amnesty International. The report, titled “Shadows of Control”, highlights how Pakistani authorities have obtained advanced surveillance technology through a covert global supply chain, exposing the critical role played by foreign companies in enabling mass digital monitoring.
Amnesty International revealed that the Pakistani government has deployed sophisticated tools, including the Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0) and the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), which act as digital “watchtowers,” monitoring citizens’ calls, text messages, emails, and internet activities. The human rights watchdog warns that this growing surveillance network is eroding fundamental freedoms in the country, including privacy, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.
Surveillance Reaching Every Citizen
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, explained that these technologies operate in near secrecy, leaving ordinary citizens unaware of the extent to which their lives are being monitored.
“Pakistan’s Web Monitoring System and Lawful Intercept Management System operate like watchtowers, constantly snooping on the lives of ordinary citizens. In Pakistan, your texts, emails, calls and internet access are all under scrutiny. But people have no idea of this constant surveillance, and its incredible reach,” Callamard said.
She described the situation as a “dystopian reality” that severely restricts access to information and imposes a chilling effect on free speech. Callamard stressed that the combination of weak domestic laws and powerful surveillance technologies has dramatically accelerated the state’s capacity to silence dissent.
Inadequate Laws, Expanding Powers
The report emphasized that Pakistan’s domestic laws provide little to no safeguard against state surveillance. Even existing legal provisions, such as warrant requirements under the Fair Trial Act, are reportedly ignored by authorities. Instead, the government continues to acquire increasingly advanced surveillance technologies from foreign suppliers.
This legal vacuum, combined with cutting-edge digital monitoring tools, has created an environment where dissenters—journalists, civil society members, and political critics—are easily targeted. The result, Amnesty warned, is a “shrinking civic space” where citizens feel pressured into silence out of fear of reprisal.
Censorship Tools with Foreign Roots
The Amnesty International report traced the origins of Pakistan’s Web Monitoring System back to foreign technology providers, including companies from Canada. Over time, the WMS firewall has been upgraded to monitor vast amounts of internet traffic, providing the authorities with unprecedented censorship and surveillance powers.
Such foreign-supplied technologies, Amnesty argued, have amplified the state’s ability to “control the narrative” by silencing dissenting voices, suppressing critical journalism, and restricting online freedoms.
Impact on Journalists and Civil Society
The human cost of this surveillance is evident in the testimonies of those directly affected. A Pakistani journalist interviewed by Amnesty described how publishing an investigative report on corruption subjected him to relentless monitoring.
He explained that after his story was published, his phone calls, WhatsApp conversations, and even his personal contacts came under the scrutiny of authorities.
“Obviously, everything is monitored, be it email or calls. After the story, anyone I would speak to, even on WhatsApp, would come under scrutiny. They would go to people and ask them why I called. Now I go months without speaking to my family for fear they will be targeted,” the journalist told Amnesty.
This testimony underscores the broader consequences of surveillance: not only does it curtail free expression, but it also isolates individuals from their communities and families, deepening the psychological toll on those who dare to speak out.
Longstanding Concerns, Growing Dangers
Concerns about unlawful surveillance and censorship in Pakistan are not new. Human rights groups have long documented how the country’s political environment fosters a culture of monitoring and intimidation. However, Amnesty’s latest findings demonstrate that Pakistan’s surveillance apparatus has now entered a new phase of sophistication.
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The report concludes that unless urgent reforms are enacted—both domestically and internationally—Pakistan’s unchecked surveillance expansion will continue to endanger civil liberties and embolden authoritarian control. Amnesty called for greater accountability, stronger legal protections, and a halt to foreign companies supplying tools that enable human rights violations.
