VPNs not being blocked in Pakistan: PTA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reiterated on Tuesday that virtual private networks (VPNs) are not being blocked in Pakistan.

“Recent news circulating in media about PTA to block VPNs, it is clarified that VPNs are not being blocked in Pakistan,” the telecommunication authority said in a statement .

It is also important to know that the government had previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the internet slowdown. As of now, the authority is encouraging all IT companies, software houses, freelancers and banks, etc, to register their internet protocols (IPs) for using VPNs, so that in case of any disruption, the internet services to these entities are not affected, the PTA added.

Additionally, the authority’s statement mentioned that VPN registration is a “one window operation” available at PTA and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) websites that takes two to three days and is free of cost. Previously, PTA announced registration of VPNs under “one window” operations in order to facilitate businesses of software houses, call centres, freelancers and foreign missions/embassies for their legitimate, secure and uninterrupted operations. A statement by the authority said that over 20,000 IPs had been registered for VPNs since 2020. Prior to this, amid reports of ban on VPNs, PTA clarified that it was whitelisting VPNs through an “automated process” to ensure the smooth and secure functioning of IT services and online businesses.