The chief of the telecom regulator thinks that questions about national security had to be posed to policymakers.
As of Monday, the chief of the telecom regulator stated that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will not block virtual private networks (VPNs), despite the fact that it is able to do so.
“We had earlier said that we can block VPNs, but we won’t do it,” said the chairman of the PTA, Maj. Gen. Hafeez Ur Rehman, as he was speaking at an event to unveil the PTA annual report 2024.
The regularity authority earlier decided not to block virtual private networks (VPNs), even though the government had extended the deadline for registering proxies beyond November 30. However, the government has not yet announced the next date for the VPN service suspension.
However, sources say the move was made because there were no binding legal grounds.
The PTA chairman confirmed that they had not blocked any VPN until today. He added that there was no way to conceal anything from the people during this period.
In response to questions about internet shutdowns caused by national security, the PTA chairman said, “We do not have an answer.”
“Policymakers ought to be questioned about matters concerning national security,” he advocated.
At the beginning of the previous month, the Ministry of Interior announced that it would begin the process of shutting down all unregistered virtual private networks (VPNs) by the middle of November. However, the Ministry later announced that it would allow unregistered VPNs to comply with mandatory registration requirements for a period of two weeks.
The PTA decided not to publish an official comment on the VPN topic due to the government’s decision to extend the stated date. However, the chairman of the PTA did speak to some media sources and verified that the authority would not block VPNs.
To circumvent content restrictions, virtual private networks (VPNs) are widely utilized all over the world.
After the authorities in Pakistan banned the social networking site X (which was formerly known as Twitter) earlier this year due to “national security” concerns, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) increased significantly all over the country.
A number of stakeholders, including those working in the information technology industry and independent contractors, have been advocating for an extension of the deadline for registration.
We have “streamlined” the VPN registration process.
The PTA had previously announced that it has streamlined the process for private companies and independent contractors to register for a virtual private network (VPN).
Through the official website of the PTA, the telecommunications regulator had stated that organizations such as software houses, call centers, banks, embassies, and freelancers could register their virtual private networks (VPNs) online.
According to the Pakistan Trade Association (PTA), members of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) are also eligible to make use of this facility.
A computerized national identity card (CNIC), details regarding the registration of the firm, and taxpayer status are some of the fundamental information that must be provided in order to complete the registration process, according to the information that was added.
