Interior ministry seeks VPN ban, citing use by terrorists

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block unauthorised Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) nationwide, citing concerns over their misuse in terrorist activities and accessing inappropriate content, including pornography and blasphemous material.

Earlier, PTA announced plans to tighten VPN regulation to curb access to adult content, revealing it had blocked over 100,000 URLs with blasphemous content and more than 840,000 pornographic websites.

Nearly 20 million daily attempts to access such material are intercepted at the international gateway level.

A letter from the interior ministry highlighted the growing misuse of VPNs by terrorist groups for concealing communication and conducting illicit financial transactions.

It also noted Pakistan’s ranking as a leading country for accessing adult content via VPNs, emphasizing the urgency of regulation.

To address these concerns, PTA has mandated that only registered VPNs will remain functional, with a registration deadline of November 30. Legitimate users, such as IT professionals and businesses, are assured continued access through a streamlined online registration framework. PTA attributed recent VPN disruptions to technical glitches, but digital rights activists criticized the move as a step toward increased censorship and surveillance.

This crackdown aligns with broader efforts to regulate digital platforms, including restricting access to X for national security reasons. Despite criticism, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defended these measures, highlighting their role in preventing misuse by separatists and terrorist groups.

Earlier, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi declared the used of VPNs un-Islamic.

While acknowledging VPNs’ legitimate uses, he emphasised their frequent misuse for unethical purposes like spreading misinformation and facilitating cybercrime. Dr Naeemi urged alignment of internet governance with Islamic and societal ethics, advocating VPN registration and public awareness campaigns to promote ethical online behavior.