The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced that unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) will cease functioning after November 30. As confirmed by PTA Chairman, retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman, during a Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom meeting.
The PTA is differentiating between commercial VPNs used by businesses along with unregistered ones that they can block!
The Commercial VPN’s require registration. On the other hand the non-commercial VPNs, typically used by individuals to access restricted content. The telecom regulator clarified that only commercial VPNs are being registered.
Committee members raised concerns about the PTA’s authority to block non-commercial VPNs.
Hence, referring the matter to the law ministry for clarification. Senator Afnanullah questioned the legality of such restrictions, arguing that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (2016) does not provide a basis for blocking VPNs.
The discussion also highlighted frequent internet disruptions. Which have severely impacted approximately 2.5 million freelancers in Pakistan. Some senators even questioned if these measures had political motives, but PTA officials denied this claim.
Additionally, criticism was directed at the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) for declaring VPN usage un-Islamic. Lawmakers demanded clarity on the rationale behind the CII’s statement. While expressing dissatisfaction over the absence of IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja from consecutive meetings. The committee plans to address this issue in a letter to the Prime Minister.
The situation remains contentious, with legal and technical challenges yet to be resolved.
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