ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 4: According to PTA, no such action has been done and all forms of blocking are only carried out on government orders. As explained by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), whitelisting VPNs is a “automated process” that ensures the seamless and safe operation of internet enterprises and IT services.
The explanation was provided two days after PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman connected government orders to the easing of a ban on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He also affirmed that the PTA was whitelisting VPNs, meaning that only particular proxy networks will be accessible in Pakistan after that, during a briefing to the Senate’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat.
Nonetheless, there were rumors in the media that the nation was planning to outlaw VPN use completely.
“No such action has been taken and all kinds of blocking are undertaken only under the directions of government of Pakistan in accordance with legal frameworks and guidelines,” the PTA said in an official declaration today.
The statement went on, “VPNs are being whitelisted through an automated process available at PTA and PSEB websites for the smooth and secure functioning of the IT services and online businesses.”
It is important to remember that on February 17, Pakistani authorities halted the X program throughout the nation due to worries about national security. It is accessible, nonetheless, via a variety of proxy networks.
In its answer to the SHC last month, the federal government supported the ban on X, claiming that it was a “legitimate” measure to address national security concerns.
