Interior ministry urges PTA to block illegal VPNs

The Ministry of Interior has called on the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block illegal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), highlighting concerns over their misuse for facilitating terrorism, financial transactions, and access to prohibited content.

In a letter sent to the PTA, the ministry expressed alarm at the increasing exploitation of VPNs by terrorist groups to conceal their communications and conduct illicit activities within the country.

The letter further noted that unregulated VPNs were being used to access explicit, pornographic, and blasphemous content, which posed risks to public morality.

"VPNs are increasingly being exploited by terrorists to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions," the letter stated. "An alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications."

In Pakistan, the use of VPNs surged following the government's decision to block the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) earlier this year, citing national security concerns.

Despite efforts to curb access to restricted content, Pakistanis continue to make millions of daily attempts to access banned websites, including explicit material, via unregistered VPNs.

As a result, the ministry has urged the PTA to take swift action to block illegal VPNs, ensuring that only registered and legitimate users are not affected.

To address these concerns, the PTA has recently launched a streamlined process for VPN registration, aimed at regulating legitimate users and fostering a secure environment for Pakistan’s growing IT and e-commerce sectors.

The PTA's efforts to regulate VPNs have been in place since 2010, and as of now, around 20,500 VPNs have been successfully registered, with over 1,422 companies having completed the process.

The Ministry of Interior has formally requested that the PTA block illegal VPNs across Pakistan to mitigate security and morality threats, while ensuring that registered VPN users can continue to operate without disruption.