PTA Announces Deadline for Non-Registered VPNs Senate Committee Questions Authority and Impact on Users

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In his briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman differentiated between commercial VPNs used by businesses and non-commercial ones utilized by individuals to access blocked content. He stated that the telecom regulator is only registering commercial VPNs.

Committee members raised concerns regarding the PTA's legal authority to block non-commercial VPNs. In response to inquiries about the status of these VPNs post-November 30, the PTA chief advised individuals not to access unauthorized social media apps or websites through VPNs. Lawmakers questioned the PTA's power to block non-commercial users' VPNs and referred the matter to the law ministry for further comments.

Senator Afnanullah challenged the legality of the Interior Ministry's directive to the PTA to block VPNs, asserting that VPNs do not fall under the category of social media apps. The committee has requested clarification from the attorney general regarding the status of VPNs.

Senator Afnanullah emphasized that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, does not permit the blocking of VPNs under any circumstances.

The meeting, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, also discussed the reasons behind internet disruptions across the country. The PTA chairman suggested holding an in-camera briefing on the VPN issue, proposing that the secretary of the interior be invited to the meeting.

Senator Khan noted that regular internet disruptions have jeopardized the professional futures of around 2.5 million freelancers in Pakistan. Senator Afnanullah criticized the PTA and the IT ministry for the internet outages that have caused business losses and stressed users. Some committee members questioned whether these restrictions had political motives, but PTA officials denied such perceptions.

The committee members also criticized the Council of Islamic Ideology's (CII) statement declaring VPN use as un-Islamic, suggesting that the body should also ban TVs and mobile phones for displaying harmful content. Lawmakers sought the basis for the CII's judgment, but officials declined to comment.

Additionally, committee members expressed disappointment over the absence of IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja from the meeting, noting that she has skipped the third consecutive session of the Senate committee.