Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have decided to block virtual private networks (VPN) that help people bypass restrictions, fuelling suspicions of government censorship over the freedom of speech. Non-registered VPNs will ‘stop working’ after November 30, Hafeezur Rehman, a retired general who heads the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), told senators on Monday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the PTA has asked people using commercial VPNs to register so that their work is not disrupted. The statement came days after the interior ministry sought a ban on illegal VPNs, stating they were being used by ‘terrorists’ and to access pornographic and blasphemous content. On Friday, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a body of clerics that advises the parliament on aligning laws with teachings of Islam, declared the use of VPNs as ‘un-Islamic’ and triggered a new debate.
Millions of Pakistanis have experienced slower internet speeds without an official explanation for months. Social media platform X was
blocked in February, and many internet users, including government officials, had been using VPNs. The livelihoods of more than 2.5 million freelancers have been impacted by the recent internet disruptions, according to reports quoting the Senate standing committee on information technology.
Internet censorship is not new in Pakistan. The authorities have suspended internet services and banned social media platforms including X, Facebook, YouTube, and others in the past. In February, during the general elections, internet services were suspended, and social media platforms were blocked amidst political turmoil.
