PTA issues statement on VPN disruption

P@SHA has called a virtual meeting today to encourage IT companies serving international clients to register their VPNs

Tech Desk - Nov 12, 2024

An undated image of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority head office in Islamabad. — AFP

A day after virtual private networks (VPNs) were disrupted nationwide, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) attributed the outage to a "technical glitch”.

In Pakistan, as social media restrictions on X (formerly Twitter) continue and access to other platforms remains inconsistent, an increasing number of users have turned to VPNs to maintain connectivity. Yet, on Sunday evening, a nationwide disruption to VPN services. raised concerns across the tech sector, leading to intervention from the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

As the regulatory landscape evolves, the PTA has consistently emphasised the need for VPN registration, requesting P@SHA’s cooperation to ensure IT entities comply with this directive. A day earlier, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) issued a formal notice to P@SHA, urging that VPNs across the IT industry be registered as a precautionary measure to avert future disruptions.

To support compliance and ease concerns among its members, P@SHA has scheduled a virtual meeting today (Tuesday), where it will encourage IT companies serving international clients to register their VPNs. "All our members use professional VPNs with whitelisted IP addresses, but issues arise when some experts have to work from remote locations, requiring private VPNs as well,” P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed told Dawn Newspaper.

Recognising the operational demands of the IT industry, he also emphasised that VPNs are vital for companies conducting overseas business, as clients often require secure, closed internet environments rather than open networks.

Syed further added that P@SHA is actively advising freelancers to consider forming small companies to formalise their operations, thereby enabling them to register their VPNs through PTA and reduce the risk of restrictions.

In a letter issued by PSEB, VPNs were confirmed as permissible tools within Pakistan for “legitimate purposes” across several sectors, including banking, IT companies, foreign missions, universities, call centres, and freelance professionals.

However, the document added, “in light of security concerns and to curb misuse, the government is introducing stricter regulations on VPN usage.” The PSEB appealed to the IT industry — encompassing firms, freelancers, and call centres — to complete their VPN registrations promptly to avoid potential interruptions. Guidelines for registration have been made available on the PTA’s official website.