In a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Ministry of Interior has demanded a complete ban on illegal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country, citing concerns that these platforms are being used by terrorists to facilitate “violent activities and financial transactions.”
“VPNs are increasingly being exploited by terrorists,” stated the ministry’s letter, “[…] to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan.”
The letter further highlighted an alarming trend where VPNs are being used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications.
Additionally, the ministry pointed out that unregulated VPNs are being used to access pornographic and blasphemous content, despite government restrictions.
VPNs are commonly used worldwide to bypass restricted content. In Pakistan, the use of VPNs spiked after authorities banned social media site X (formerly Twitter) earlier this year over “national security” concerns.
However, the misuse of VPNs has been alarming, with Pakistanis making up to 20 million daily attempts to access blocked explicit content through unregistered VPNs, despite government restrictions.
Regarding public morality, the ministry emphasized that Pakistan is one of the countries where pornographic sites are frequently visited via VPNs, and these trends call for a ban on unauthorized virtual private networks to address the critical threats.
The Ministry of Interior has formally requested the PTA to “block illegal VPNs across Pakistan so that registered VPN users may not be affected.” The ministry also urged that VPN registration with PTA be completed by November 30, 2024.
This request follows the PTA’s recent efforts to regulate VPN use for legitimate purposes, including the introduction of a streamlined process for registering these platforms just two days ago.
The new registration framework is designed to provide a secure environment for the IT and e-commerce sectors in Pakistan. The framework was discussed in a consultative session earlier this week with representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and Pakistan IT Association (P@SHA), according to PTA officials.
The PTA has introduced a simplified VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online platform at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk.
The PTA statement indicated that this framework “supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA’s commitment to Pakistan’s expanding digital economy.”
The telecommunication authorities had initiated the VPN registration process back in 2010. To date, approximately 20,500 VPNs have been successfully registered, with over 1,422 companies completing the registration process.