The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will not block virtual private networks (VPNs) despite having the capacity to do so, the head of the telecom regulator said on Monday.
At the PTA’s 2024 annual report presentation ceremony, its president Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman said: “We had said earlier that we can block VPNs, but we will not do it.”
Previously, the regulatory authority decided not to block VPNs, as the government extended the deadline for registering proxies beyond November 30. However, no new date for the VPN suspension has been announced.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the reason behind the move was lack of legal basis.
The PTA president confirmed that they did not block any VPNs until today. In this day and age you can’t hide anything from people, he added.
Turning to Internet-related issues in the country, the PTA president said, “We have no answer when we are asked about the Internet being shut down due to national security.”
“Questions related to national security should be raised with policymakers,” he said.
Last month, the Home Office had announced that it would begin the process of shutting down all unregistered VPNs in mid-November, but then announced a two-week “grace period” that would allow unregistered VPNs to comply with the requirements of mandatory registration.
At the end of the deadline in the evening, the PTA chose not to issue an official statement on the issue of VPNs, but its president spoke to certain media outlets and confirmed that the authority would not block VPNs, as the government had decided to grant an extension to the stipulated period. deadline.
VPNs are commonly used around the world to bypass restricted content.
In Pakistan, VPN usage saw a surge after authorities banned social media site X (formerly Twitter) earlier this year over “national security” concerns.
Stakeholders, including the IT industry and freelancers, have been pushing for an extension of the registration deadline.
‘Simplified’ VPN registration process
The PTA had previously said it had simplified the VPN registration process for organizations and freelancers.
The telecom regulator had said that entities such as software companies, call centers, banks, embassies and freelancers could register their VPNs online through the official PTA website.
The PTA had said that members of Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) can also avail this facility.
It added that registration involves filling out an online form and providing basic details, including a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), company registration details and taxpayer status.
