The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been actively overseeing and regulating VPN services in the country to ensure they comply with national laws and cybersecurity protocols.
As part of these efforts, the PTA has implemented a whitelisting process to better monitor and control VPN usage across various sectors.
So far, the PTA has registered 20,437 VPN service providers. In total, 1,286 companies have registered 19,840 VPNs within Pakistan.
Freelancers have also begun registering their VPNs, with 136 freelancers accounting for 180 registered VPNs. The Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has registered 417 VPNs.
Overall, 1,422 companies have completed VPN registration with the PTA.
According to government sources, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) will be enforced once the illegal use of VPNs is fully curbed. The PTA has been conducting VPN registration and whitelisting since 2010.
Additionally, 469 mobile applications have been blocked, including 435 Android apps and 34 Apple apps, due to their involvement in anti-Islamic content, immorality, and fraudulent activities.