Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), highlighted the complexities involved in managing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Pakistan and the nationwide ban on VPNs that could potentially significantly impact businesses.
During a Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet meeting chaired by Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, Chairman Rehman discussed the government’s efforts to create a whitelist for VPNs to curb unauthorized use in the country.
He revealed that despite these measures, social media platform X has seen a significant decrease in usage, with only 30% of users accessing it via VPNs, suggesting a 70% drop in overall user activity on the platform in Pakistan. The PTA is prepared to unblock X pending governmental approval, noting that X has addressed only 7% of the complaints filed by the PTA in the past three months.
Rehman also provided insights into the broader state of internet and telecommunications in Pakistan, including security and user engagement. He reported no cyberattacks on telecom systems in the past two years and discussed the responsiveness of different social media platforms to legal complaints, highlighting TikTok’s cooperation contrasted with X’s lower compliance rate.
Addressing content management, he noted the challenges in blocking specific posts on platforms like Facebook or Twitter without resorting to a total platform ban, which remains a contentious option. Additionally, Rehman confirmed that 56% of Pakistan’s population now has internet access, with the satellite policy completed and 5G auctions anticipated for the next spring.
The PTA has occasionally suspended mobile services for security reasons, including during events such as Muharram, May 9, and recent elections. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar added context regarding online content, pointing out that blocking posts with sensitive religious content could trigger protests. While there is significant criticism of the government on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, it is less prevalent on X. However, the government does not oppose such criticism as part of its commitment to free speech.
