CII decree against VPNs unreasonable: Senate panel

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology has called the Council of Islamic Ideological (CII)’s comments on the blockage of VPNs (virtual private network) as unreasonable.

Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan chaired the standing committee at the Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges, on Monday. The committee sarcastically suggested that the CII should also ban television as it displays harmful content. The committee opined that nothing would be achieved by blocking the tools, and instead, the government should focus on regulating them. The committee sought the basis for the CII’s decree.

The MPs panel on IT discussed the reasons for internet disruption countrywide. Senator Palwasha termed the absence of the IT minister and secretary negligence to defend the current internet disruption. She stated that there were around 2.5 million freelancers in the country, and the recent internet disruptions were causing hindrance for them in earning their livelihood. Despite the IT minister was invited, she didn’t bother to attend the meeting for the 3rd consecutive time. The committee decided to write a letter to the prime minister, highlighting the inability of the minister to defend the ministry’s decisions.

Additionally, the committee discussed a recent letter of the Interior Ministry concerning the blockade of VPNs to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) without letting the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications know about its whereabouts. Senator Afnan Ullah questioned the legality of Interior Ministry’s letter. He was of the opinion that the VPNs don’t fall under the umbrella of social media apps. The committee directed the PTA to sought legal opinion of Attorney General for Pakistan on whether or not the VPNs fall under the ambit of social media apps.

Furthermore, the committee was briefed on the criteria followed for the selection of IT secretary. The Establishment Division officials informed the MPs that a person holding a graduation degree with 20 years of experience in the field could qualify for the position; however, out of all candidates, 15 were shortlisted for the interview. Senator Dr Humayun Mohmand remarked that, of the 15 shortlisted candidates, three were PhDs and one was enrolled in the PhD programme, and yet the government selected the one with only a graduation degree.

The committee expressed displeasure on the selection criteria, stating that the criterion reflects that it was designed to select a ‘blue eyed’ individual. Discussing the court cases pending concerning LDI (Long Distance and International) and FLL (Fixed Local Loop) companies, the officials apprised that a total of 24 cases are pending in different courts against the alleged amount of Rs78 billion which is being owed by the LDI and FLL companies. However, principal amount claimed by the PTA in all these cases is Rs24 billion while Rs54 billion is fine with an interest rate of two percent per month.

It was highlighted that in some cases the stay order had been operative since 2011, and since then, no effort has been made to vacate the stay order. Officials apprised that they have somehow succeeded in clubbing these cases and expected the early resolution of these matters.

While discussing the payment of increased pension to the pensioners of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) by Pakistan Telecommunications Employees Trust, the officials informed the Senate panel that the matter was sub judice and pending before the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the PTA has decided to extend the grace period for unregistered VPNs until November 30, sources confirmed to Geo News on Monday. The decision comes amid increasing concerns over the misuse of unauthorised VPNs for illicit activities, including bypassing internet restrictions and accessing prohibited content.

According to PTA sources, the extended deadline allows unregistered VPN users to comply with mandatory registration requirements. Starting December 1, the PTA would initiate a nationwide crackdown on unregistered VPNs. A successful trial of VPN blocking has already been conducted, and a second trial is planned in the coming days to ensure readiness for the full-scale shutdown.

Unregistered VPNs are considered a significant security risk, as they can be exploited to access sensitive data and facilitate criminal activities, the PTA officials stated. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, recently called for stricter measures against unauthorised VPNs, citing their misuse by terrorists and other illicit actors.

A letter from the ministry outlined the potential dangers posed by unregistered VPNs, including their role in concealing communications, facilitating financial transactions tied to terrorism, and accessing explicit or blasphemous content.

The letter emphasised that Pakistan ranks among the top countries for visiting such sites via VPNs, raising concerns over both national security and public morality. The Interior Ministry also noted that terrorists increasingly exploit VPNs to obscure their communications and facilitate violent activities. To counter these threats, the government has called for immediate action to disable unauthorised VPNs and ensure all legitimate users are registered with the PTA.

The Ministry of Interior urged the PTA to block all illegal VPNs nationwide while allowing legitimate users to register their services by the November 30 deadline. The PTA stated on Saturday that the authority has streamlined the VPN registration process for organisations and freelancers.

Entities such as software houses, call centres, banks, embassies and freelancers can now easily register their VPNs online through the PTA’s official website: www.pta.gov.pk. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) members can also avail this facility. Registration involves completing an online form and providing basic details, including CNIC, company registration details and taxpayer status.

Freelancers must submit documentation, such as a letter or email, verifying their project or company association. Additionally, applicants must provide the IP address for VPN connectivity. If a fixed IP address is required, it can be acquired from an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The registration process is free, and approvals are typically granted within 8-10 hours of submission. To-date, more than 20,000 companies and freelancers have successfully registered their VPNs through this process.

Any individual requiring a VPN for commercial purposes can apply under the ‘Freelancer’ category and needs to provide the required information, including supporting evidence from the employer. The VPNs are widely used globally to bypass restricted content and safeguard user privacy.

Reports suggest that Pakistanis make up to 20 million daily attempts to access blocked explicit content using unregistered VPNs, despite government restrictions. Meanwhile, CII Chairman Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi gave a clarification on the body’s fatwa (Islamic decree) regarding VPN, saying its nature of being Islamic or un-Islamic mainly depended on its usage.

“No matter if VPN is registered or unregistered, it will be un-Islamic if it is used for indecent content and false propaganda,” said Naeemi speaking on Geo News morning show, ‘Geo Pakistan’.

Stressing the need to block access to immoral or blasphemous content on the internet, the CII on November 15 declared the use of VPN as un-Islamic. In a statement, CII Chairman Naeemi had said the government had the right to curb evil and prevent access to it. He had stated that taking measures to prevent or restrict the access to immoral and offensive content was in accordance with the Sharia.

Explaining the backdrop against which the fatwa was issued, he said on Geo News’ programme that since most of the VPN usage was to access indecent websites, therefore, the CII declared it un-Islamic.

The CII chief said, according to the reports shared with him, there were 15 million hits on indecent sites daily.

“If you register the VPN and do positive criticism, then there is no harm,” he said, emphasising on registration of VPN. On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Rana Sanaullah said he was not aware of the government’s opinion on blocking VPN.

Speaking on ‘Naya Pakistan’ programme, the PM’s special assistant on political affairs said the matter of VPN was not for the CII or Naeemi to take up.

“The CII gave an unwarranted opinion on the VPN,” he said, adding that it had nothing to do with the Shariat. He further clarified that the government imposed restriction for misuse of social media platform X.