VPN Crackdown Could Harm Pakistani Businesses

Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (R) Hafeez Rahman said on Thursday that blocking virtual private networks (VPNs) nationwide might be possible, but it would negatively impact businesses.

Speaking to the Senate Standing Committee on IT & Telecom, the chairman mentioned that PTA has started a process to allow only approved VPNs and block unauthorized ones. He also noted that the use of X in Pakistan has dropped by 70%, with only 30% of people using VPNs to access the app.

He pointed out that X has addressed just 7% of the PTA’s complaints over the last three months. He added that the decision to lift the block on X rests with the federal government.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the committee that posts offending religious beliefs often spark protests. He noted that criticism of the government is more common on platforms like YouTube and TikTok than on X, but stated that the government has no problem with social media criticism.