Musk responded, indicating that SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, is awaiting the approval of the Pakistani government.
This wait has taken a political turn.
In the midst of global geopolitical turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump’s policies, Pakistan is grappling with how to manage its relationship with Musk, a close ally of Trump.
Pakistan, home to 241 million people, banned X (formerly Twitter) in February 2024 ahead of national elections.
The social media platform, which Musk acquired for $44 billion in late 2022, was blocked by the Ministry of Interior for non-compliance with directives to remove content deemed problematic by the government.
A year later, using the platform remains a criminal offense in Pakistan, which has fewer than five million X subscribers and was not a major market for the social media company. Other countries that have banned X include China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan.
Now, the issue of Starlink is testing the relationship between Pakistan and Musk. Recently, Musk, who has more than 219 million followers on X, made posts about child sexual assault cases in the UK, some involving Pakistani men. These incidents took place over a decade ago.
Matter of national interest?
In January, Indian lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi objected to the generic use of the term “Asian” and emphasized that the UK grooming gangs were led by “Pakistani” men. Musk responded with a tweet agreeing, which caused outrage among Pakistani legislators. Some suggested that Starlink’s operation in Pakistan should be contingent on Musk apologizing for his remarks.
The question remains whether Pakistan should base its decision on business and national security or consider Musk’s political ties to Trump and his comments.
Ahmed Atteeq Anwer, a legislator from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and member of the National Assembly’s committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, believes the decision should not consider Musk or Trump. He emphasized that this is an issue of internet infrastructure and national interest. Starlink could benefit remote areas but must adhere to Pakistani laws and prioritize national security.
Is Pakistan ‘closed for business’?
While Starlink has been registered in Pakistan since June 2021, it still requires further licensing to become operational. The application process involves registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, gaining approval from the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board, and receiving final clearance from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
A PSARB statement mentioned that Starlink had already registered with SECP, and PSARB was in direct engagement with SpaceX Headquarters in the USA. However, SpaceX did not respond to inquiries regarding the discussions.
The PTA official emphasized the need to ensure that the satellites do not disrupt existing satellites serving Pakistan. NayaTel CEO Wahaj us Siraj suggested that the concerns over Starlink were exaggerated, arguing that it would offer an additional option for Pakistani internet users.
Pakistan has faced several major online disruptions in the past year, with the government attributing faults to submarine cables connecting the country to the global internet infrastructure. Pakistan ranks low globally for internet speeds.
Impact on US-Pakistan relations
An Inbar, the PML-N politician, dismissed the notion that Pakistan’s approach to Starlink would affect relations with the US. He argued that major powers intervene when it suits their interests and emphasized that economic matters should be seen separately from national interests.
Qandil Abbas, a professor of international relations at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, shared this view. He argued that while Musk is important in business relations, Pakistan should focus on state-to-state diplomacy. With the controversies surrounding Musk’s role in the Trump administration, Pakistan should engage with Musk purely in terms of business, not politics.
