PTA Appeals for VPN Registration Deadline Extension

The Interior Ministry has been requested by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to extend the deadline for registering virtual private networks (VPNs) beyond November 30^th,2024.

The ministry was informed by PTA that certain stakeholders have expressed apprehension regarding the registration process’s complexity.

The Ministry of Interior issued an instruction to register all unregistered VPNs to guarantee compliance. The PTA is currently engaged in consultation with stakeholders to resolve their concerns and streamline the registration process.

“Of late, an alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications. VPNs are also being used for discreetly accessing pornographic and blasphemous content,” the Interior Division said in a statement.

The argument was made that Pakistan is one of the top countries in terms of the use of VPNs to access pornographic websites. These trends necessitate the complete shutdown of unregulated private networks to resolve the issue.

The government has no justification for not extending the registration deadline by an additional two weeks before sending obstruction notices to the affected parties.