• January 3, 2025
• Information Technology
• Web Desk

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (Retd) Hafeezur Rehman on January 1 acknowledged that blocking internet access remains a “legal grey area.” The PTA chairman said the law and interior ministries should provide the “final legal opinion” on the matter.

During a Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology meeting, key issues surrounding internet governance, VPN regulations, and connectivity challenges were discussed.

Committee Chair Senator Palwasha Khan expressed concerns about the internet speeds and legal ambiguities surrounding shutdowns.

Senators Kamran Murtaza and Humayun Mohmand questioned the legal basis for these shutdowns. ” “Which law permits this? How can you disrupt internet services without legal grounds?” Murtaza asked.

“The government instructs us to impose internet shutdowns. If this is illegal, why has the government been directing us to do so for the past nine years?” Rehman said while clarifying that the PTA doesn’t make such decisions on its own.

The chairman noted that shutdowns have been ongoing since 2016 but have been “deemed unlawful” recently. He said the interior ministry should provide a final legal opinion.

The committee also highlighted the issue of slow internet speeds across Pakistan, which were attributed to insufficient fiber optic infrastructure. The internet speed would remain slow unless significant improvements were made in the digital infrastructure, Rehman added.

On Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Rehman clarified that no blanket ban had been imposed. “We have taken a stand on the issue of VPN ban (in Pakistan), and I did not allow VPNs to be banned,” he said. The PTA initiated a registration process for VPN service providers on December 19, with two companies already applying for licenses. The PTA has consulted stakeholders, including the Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA), to align with international models for VPN registration.

Addressing content moderation, Rehman said the PTA receives approximately 500 complaints daily about harmful or illegal content on social media platforms. “We are in continuous dialogue with social media companies to block harmful content, but there remains a significant gap in enforcement,” he stated. About 80% of flagged content is removed.

Rehman also dismissed widely circulated claims that sharks had damaged submarine cables, clarifying that technical issues, not wildlife, were responsible. Pakistan currently relies on seven submarine cables for internet connectivity, with an additional cable, “2 Africa,” expected to improve internet quality in the coming months.