PTA Chairman Stands Firm Against VPN Ban, Registration Process for VPN Providers Begins

Islamabad: Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Mr. Amir Azeem Bajwa, stated that he has taken a firm stance against the ban on VPNs, ensuring that VPN services have not been blocked. The registration process for VPN service providers commenced on December 19, with two internet service providers already applying for licenses.
In a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Senator Polasha Khan, various issues related to internet connectivity and speed were discussed. Committee members raised concerns about download speeds and the functionality of apps, noting that voice notes were not being transmitted properly.
During the meeting, Chairman PTA highlighted that Pakistan is connected to seven submarine cables, with four to five additional cables expected to be operational soon. Two submarine cables linking to Africa are set to be completed this year. Despite this, Pakistan currently ranks 97th in the world for internet speed. He also emphasized that no “shark” could damage these cables, referring to the security of these underwater connections.
On the topic of internet disruptions, PTA Chairman mentioned that the authority receives about 500 complaints daily regarding social media content. The PTA has asked social media platforms to block problematic content, and approximately 80% of the requests are successfully blocked. However, about 20% of the flagged content remains accessible.
Senator Kamran Murtaza raised questions regarding the legal authority to block the internet in specific regions, pointing out that the law does not explicitly allow regional internet shutdowns. The PTA Chairman responded by stating that if blocking internet access were unlawful, the government would not have been requesting such actions for the past nine years.
In response to a query regarding internet shutdowns on orders from the Supreme Court or High Court, the PTA Chairman clarified that such actions have been taken following judicial directives, including during the general elections on February 8.
The committee also discussed the progress of the “Udaan Pakistan” project, with members asking whether Information Technology (IT) had been included in the initiative. The Ministry of IT confirmed that IT had been integrated into the project.
Regarding the internet speed and access issues faced in regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTA Chairman acknowledged the challenges, citing the lack of proper fiber connectivity in some areas. He explained that the issue of slow internet speeds in cities like Larkana, Sindh, was also being addressed.
Finally, the Chairman confirmed that the process for registering VPN service providers is ongoing, with PTCL having applied for VPN registration with a major company. He expects more applications to be submitted in the coming days, with hopes for a large number of registrations. The PTA has worked in consultation with P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association) to ensure that the registration process is in line with global standards.
This marks a significant step in regulating the VPN industry in Pakistan while ensuring uninterrupted internet access for users.