The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided against imposing a nationwide ban on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The move followed a request from the Interior Ministry to ban unregistered VPNs, citing their alleged misuse by terrorists for “facilitating violent activities” and accessing “pornographic and blasphemous content.”
However, the Interior Ministry has since withdrawn its request, according to sources cited by Dawn.
The decision came after the Law Ministry advised that the government lacked the legal authority to block VPNs. The ministry clarified that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, specifically Section 34 titled “Unlawful online content,” grants the government powers to block or remove specific content but does not extend to banning tools like VPNs.
“There was an interpretation issue with the clauses in PECA 2016, and it has been noted that the Interior Ministry’s reading of the law was weak. The courts would likely uphold the functioning of VPNs,” the report said.
This interpretation ultimately influenced the PTA’s decision not to proceed with the ban.
