On November 18, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications expressed its frustration over the absence of the Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and the federal IT secretary from a key meeting. The committee also raised serious concerns over the government’s measures to restrict the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country.

The absence of the minister and secretary drew criticism from the committee, which described the situation as a “pity,” especially in light of escalating internet disruptions affecting citizens. The committee resolved to bring the issue to the attention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier, on November 10, numerous internet users across Pakistan reported restricted access to VPNs and poor internet connectivity. In response, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (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.

PTA has already taken steps to regulate VPN usage, launching a registration scheme aimed at IT companies, freelancers, and legitimate users to ensure uninterrupted service.  In a directive issued on November 15, the Interior Ministry 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. It cited the misuse of VPNs by terrorists and concerns over accessing prohibited content, including pornography and blasphemous material.

During the Senate Standing Committee meeting, which PPP Senator Palwasha Khan chaired, members voiced their alarm over these restrictions. They also noted that the absence of key officials from the session hindered any meaningful discussion about solutions to the digital challenges faced by the country. The meeting was attended by PML-N Senator Afnanullah Khan, PTI Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza, and PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman.

The PTA chairman acknowledged that the IT industry and freelancers would be unable to operate without VPNs and noted that those businesses who registered VPNs would be affected by internet closures and added that VPNs were not essential for all freelancers.

“Currently, anything can be accessed via VPNs in Pakistan,” he said, clarifying that Islamic scholars were referring to the issue of people accessing “immoral sites.”

Concerns were also raised over online content. Senators emphasized that objectionable material is freely available on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with Senator Afnanullah underscoring that current legislation under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) does not support a blanket VPN ban. Meanwhile, Senator Kamran Murtaza questioned the suspension of internet services in Balochistan.

The PTA chairman explained that the internet shutdown in Balochistan was in response to an ongoing security operation and came following a request from the interior ministry. He further said that apart from an earlier disruption caused by a faulty submarine cable in August, there have been no recent widespread issues affecting internet speeds.

The committee has resolved to reconvene before November 30.

Photo By: Senate of Pakistan