The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, clarified on Monday that no Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) had been blocked in the country. Speaking at the launch of the PTA’s annual performance report, he emphasized that no deadline had been set for blocking VPNs, and discussions were ongoing to find a solution that minimizes public inconvenience.
Rehman highlighted that over 31,000 VPNs had officially registered with the PTA in recent weeks. He also noted that the authority had established a dedicated help desk to assist IT companies and freelancers with VPN registration, processing all applications within eight hours.
“When internet shutdowns occur, businesses can approach us to get whitelisted, ensuring their connectivity remains unaffected during government-imposed closures due to security threats,” Rehman explained. This whitelisting process helps ensure that business operations can continue smoothly, even during temporary shutdowns.
Regarding frequent internet closures, Rehman stated that the PTA acts upon government orders and that queries about shutdowns should be directed to the government.
