Lahore — News Desk: A new video circulating on social media has sparked intense public criticism as it shows workers—reportedly from the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO)—cutting overhead fiber-optic and internet cables installed along major roads in Lahore.
The action has disrupted digital connectivity across the city, affecting thousands of households and businesses.
The video clearly captures workers standing on the roadside using cable cutters to sever multiple telecommunication and internet lines attached to electricity poles. Bystanders can be heard expressing concern as critical digital infrastructure is dismantled without prior notice.
Telecom and internet service providers have strongly condemned the move, stating that LESCO has cut their fiber and cable networks without issuing any official notice, warning, or coordination, causing large-scale outages. According to industry sources, the consequences of the sudden cuts include:
• Complete disruption of high-speed internet
• Fiber breakdown leading to call drops and instability
• Interference with digital payments, e-commerce, and online education
• Operational shutdowns in offices, banks, and commercial centers
Meanwhile, LESCO officials maintain that several telecom and internet companies had installed cables on LESCO’s poles without paying the required pole-rent fee or securing Right of Way (RoW) permissions. The company argues that action against unauthorized cable installations was necessary.
However, telecom operators, digital rights groups, and technology experts argue that such unilateral action without notices, coordination meetings, or government-authorized directives is not only unlawful but also poses a severe threat to the government’s Digital Pakistan vision.
Digital activists and consumer groups have urged the Punjab Government and the Federal Ministry of IT & Telecom to intervene immediately. Their demands include:
• Immediate suspension of LESCO’s cable-cutting operations
• Establishment of a joint framework between LESCO, telecom providers, and regulatory bodies
• Ensuring protection of digital access, business continuity, and consumer rights
Lahore’s internet services were already facing stability issues, and this widespread fiber-cutting drive has now pushed large parts of the city into sudden digital blackout-like conditions.
The story will be updated as more details emerge.
