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Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued notices to all the ISPs and Cellular Mobile Operators in the country to submit the data of users using encrypted Virtual Private Network. PTA has asked everyone not to use encrypted VPN connections unless otherwise deemed unavoidable or extremely necessary.

PTA has issued this notice to prevent any such online activities in Pakistan that restricts them from monitoring the netizens in Pakistan. This is presented as a matter of National Security according to which nothing should be kept hidden or prevented from Govt. Monitoring.

PTA previously warned ISPs in December, 2010 but the order was not at all followed like different other orders by the Pakistani Govt. and Telecommunication Department. In this, so-called last warning PTA has asked all ISPs nation-wide to inform their users to not to use encrypted VPN Connections and if they feel its necessary for them they should submit the following data and get the legal approval/exception to use VPN in the country,

• Purpose for which EVPN(s) is/are being used
• Customer premises IP address(es)
• Remote end IP address(es)

Previously, Pakistan had also blocked Facebook.com, from uploading blasphemous content. There is very minimal censorship in Pakistan and we only see political websites, proxy sites and VPN websites blocked in Pakistan including world’s biggest proxy and VPN Service provider, Hidemyass.com on one ISP.

Bottom Line

Like Pakistan, Iranian Govt, Chinese Govt. UAE Govt. and several other Middle Eastern Countries prohibit the use of VPN Services in their respective countries but in our opinion that isn’t the solution of the problem. VPN is not only used by individual users but is also used by businesses to secure their corporate communication, data transfer and accessibility. Moreover, privacy, security and anonymity oriented netizens also go for VPN, not for the reason that they have something to hide from the government, but for the reason that they do not want the world to see their private communication and information.

In addition, using Public WiFi with out VPN is like wandering Naked on Times Square, whereas, you do not want to world to see you naked. It’s completely ridiculous for any government to pass such orders without making sure that it won’t hurt the local businesses and individuals. Proper planning and thinking is completely missing in this decision by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and this decision is expected to receive much criticism.

Here is the scanned copy of the actual Letter issued by PTA to ISPs and Cellular Mobile Service Providers,

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Mark Smith

Mark is a Technology and VPN Expert. He is working as an author and asst. editor at Bestvpnservice.com. He is more into giving his views on current news and exploring new technologies in Internet Security arena. He has been enjoying writing not with the pen but with the keyboard at an average speed of 40 words per minute.