Government Orders Ban on Unauthorized VPNs Citing Terror and Ethics Concerns

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The Ministry of Interior has instructed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block all unauthorized Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and has set a deadline of November 30, for the registration of VPNs with PTA.

The directive, issued on November 15, cites the misuse of VPNs by terrorists and concerns over accessing prohibited content, including pornography and blasphemous material. The order comes as VPN usage has surged to bypass internet restrictions, such as the ongoing ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

In its letter to the PTA, the Ministry of Interior highlighted that “VPNs are increasingly being exploited by the terrorists to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan.” The letter further explained: “Of late, an alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications.” The ministry also underscored that VPNs allow access to banned content and pointed out, “Pakistan is considered as one of the countries where porn sites are frequently visited by using VPNs.” It concluded that “trends warrant prohibition of unauthorized VPNs to address the critical threats.”

The PTA has been directed to enforce a ban on “illegal VPNs across Pakistan” while ensuring that legitimate users, such as businesses that rely on VPNs for security, can register their usage. The registration process for VPNs must be completed by the ministry’s deadline.

According to PTA statistics, the authority has blocked 844,008 websites featuring obscene and profane content. Over 100,000 URLs deemed blasphemous have also been restricted.

Earlier, on November 10, numerous internet users across Pakistan reported restricted access to virtual private networks (VPNs) and poor internet connectivity. In response, the PTA maintained that the disruptions were caused by a technical issue, not deliberate blocking. However, the authority reiterated its call for all commercial VPN users to register their services.

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) also issued a statement, terming VPN use to access immoral or illegal content as un-Islamic. Allama Dr. Raghib Naeemi, Chairman of the CII, stated, “Islamic laws allow the government to prevent actions that lead to the spread of evil.” He emphasized that platforms promoting blasphemous or anti-national content “should be stopped immediately.”

Dr. Naeemi elaborated on the Islamic perspective, explaining that actions must be judged by their purpose and usage. “VPNs are commonly used for security and privacy purposes, but it has often been seen that VPNs were used to access websites that may be legally prohibited or blocked by the government,” he said. He also warned about disinformation, online theft, and immoral content, which are deemed as aiding sin under Sharia law. “Every Muslim is obligated to abide by the laws of this country, provided that those laws do not conflict with Islamic principles,” he added.

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