VPNs registration deadline to be extended

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided not to block Virtual Private Networks (VPN) on its deadline of November 30 for closing down all non-registered VPNs.

The government has decided to grant an extension in the registration of VPNs. The new deadline has not been specified.

Earlier, the Ministry of Interior had given a deadline of November 30 for closing down all unregistered VPNs. Without using VPNs, it is not possible to run X in the country.

In recent days, disruptions have also been witnessed in using WhatsApp without VPN in certain parts of the country.

The PTA has registered more than 27,000 VPN so far.

The PTA preferred not to issue any official statement on VPN issue on Saturday night. However, its Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman talked to certain media outlets and confirmed that the PTA was not going to block VPNs as the government decided granting extension in the envisaged deadline. The PTA chairman had told the Senate Standing Committee on IT last week that all non-registered VPNs would stop working in the country after the deadline of Nov 30.