
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Retd. Major General Hafeezur Rehman on Monday underscored the critical role of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in industry operations during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications.
This was followed by PTA’s extension of the VPN registration deadline to November 30, amidst growing concerns over the use of unregistered VPNs to bypass internet restrictions and access prohibited content, including pornography and blasphemous material.
The chairman highlighted the importance of VPNs, encouraging the information technology (IT) sector to register their VPNs to avert difficulties. The PTA chairman stated: “The common man needs a VPN. The Internet will never be shut down if VPNs are registered.”
Read more: Govt sets deadline to block illegal VPNs amid security concerns
The PTA has successfully registered 25,000 VPNs and blocked nearly 0.5 million violent websites. The PTA chairman also mentioned, “20 million Pakistanis attempted to access obscene websites last Sunday,” emphasising the widespread use of VPNs for illegal content access.
Despite directives from the Interior Ministry to disable illegal VPNs, due to concerns they are exploited by terrorists, a senator remarked, “The law does not allow you to block VPNs,” referring to the legal complexities of regulating VPN access.
As the deadline approaches, PTA will initiate a nationwide clampdown on unregistered VPNs. The PTA chairman further noted: “Whenever the internet has to be shut down, the industry suffers.” He also addressed concerns about internet disruptions in Balochistan, explaining that the suspensions were carried out at the request of the Interior Ministry in the context of security operations.