ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced that 25,000 VPNs have been registered in Pakistan. This was shared during a Senate Standing Committee on IT meeting, chaired by Palwasha Khan, where concerns about the ongoing VPN regulation were discussed.
Senator Muhammad Humayun criticized the government’s actions, particularly the ban on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), arguing it harms Pakistan’s IT sector and freelancers. The PTA assured that registered VPNs would remain operational but faced questions about the legal basis for the policies.
Senator Afnan Ullah warned of backlash if VPN services were abruptly halted, highlighting the growth of Pakistan’s IT exports. The committee also raised concerns over the long-term viability of the current whitelist solution for VPNs.