VPNs blockage, claims it is used by ‘terrorists to facilitate violent activities’

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VPNs blockage, claims it is used by ‘terrorists to facilitate violent activities’​

Umaid Ali
November 15, 2024

The Interior Ministry on Friday asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block “illegal VPNs” across Pakistan, citing their use by terrorists to “facilitate violent activities” and to “access pornographic and blasphemous content”.

Virtual Private Networks, better known as VPNs, are widely used around the world to access content that may be inaccessible or blocked for internet users in their home country. In the case of Pakistanis, they are used to access X, among other restricted websites.

On Wednesday, the PTA said that VPN usage would be restricted in the future to curb access to pornographic content, following a disruption that rendered VPNs dysfunctional across the country on Sunday.

In a statement, the authority claimed it had so far blocked 100,183 URLs containing blasphemous content, as well as 844,008 pornographic websites. It also claimed that approximately 20 million attempts were made from within the country to access pornographic websites daily, which were blocked at the international gateway level.

The statement by PTA highlighting its performance came a day after the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony wrote to the regulator, asking it to block blasphemous and pornographic content.

In a letter to PTA on Friday, seen by Dawn.com, the interior ministry said that “VPNs are increasingly being exploited by the terrorists to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan.

“Of late, an alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications,” the letter said. “VPNs are also being used [to] discreetly access pornographic and blasphemous contents.”

“It is pointed out that Pakistan is considered as one of the leading country in terms of visiting **** sites using VPNs,” the letter said, adding that these trends warranted the prohibition of unauthorised VPNs to address the critical threats.

“It is, therefore, requested to block illegal VPNs across Pakistan so that legitimate/registered VPN users are not affected.”

Additionally, registration of VPNs with PTA may be made till November 30, the letter stated.

Last week, users from across the country reported they were experiencing “restricted access” to VPNs, alongside poor internet connectivity.

Digital rights activists termed the disruption the government’s attempt to “enforce strict censorship and surveillance over citizens”. The PTA, however, dismissed users’ claim that it was “throttling” VPNs and said the disruptions were caused by a “technical glitch”. It also urged users to register their VPNs.

On Tuesday, the authority hosted a consultation session on VPN registration framework to “foster a secure environment for the IT and e-commerce sectors in Pakistan”, a press statement said.

“The PTA introduced a streamlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk,” the statement said.

The authority claimed that this simplified framework “supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA’s commitment to Pakistan’s expanding digital economy”.

In August, the PTA initiated a crackdown on VPN usage to block access to the already banned social media platform X.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in September that X had been banned due to national security issues, not to curb freedom of expression. He added that “separatists and terrorists” were using the platform against Pakistan, which could not be allowed.

In the same month, the PTA dispelled rumours and clarified that VPNs in the country were not being blocked.

Source:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1872561/i...y-terrorists-to-facilitate-violent-activities

 

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VPN usage deemed un-Islamic by Council of Islamic Ideology chief​

CII chairman says VPNs used to bypass restrictions “impermissible in Islamic law,” urging govt action to uphold values

News Desk
November 15, 2024

PHOTO: Google

Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, declared the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) un-Islamic, stating that the government is religiously authorised to take measures to block access to immoral or blasphemous content.

In a statement issued by the CII on Thursday, Dr Naeemi stressed that restricting access to unethical or offensive material aligns with Islamic principles.

According to Dr Naeemi, the CII previously submitted recommendations on the usage of VPNs, supporting government action to implement these suggestions.

He argued that using VPNs to bypass restrictions or access prohibited websites is “impermissible in Islamic law” and urged the government to enforce limitations on platforms that undermine societal values or violate legal boundaries.

"VPN technology allows users to conceal their true identities and locations, often granting access to government-blocked websites," Dr Naeemi explained, adding that “the permissibility of any action in Islamic law depends on its purpose and method.”

He noted that VPNs could facilitate illegal activities, including digital theft, without accountability due to the concealment of user identity, which he views as a breach of both Islamic and societal laws.

Dr Naeemi categorised VPN usage as “aiding in sinful actions,” which he deemed forbidden under Sharia law. He urged all Muslims to respect the country's constitution and laws, as long as they are not in conflict with Islamic principles, stressing that accessing restricted sites goes against Islamic ethics.

The chairman further referenced recommendations made by the CII during a meeting on May 3, 2023, addressing the misuse of social media.

He stressed the need for swift action by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Federal Investigation Agency to expedite the registration process for social media websites.

He also highlighted the council’s recommendation to block VPNs promptly to mitigate potential misuse of social media and online platforms.

 

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Throwing the VPN baby out…​

Abbas Nasir
November 17, 2024

THOSE who govern us may have expertise in multiple areas, but their ability and propensity to score own goals seem without parallel. None of us will have to look too hard to find examples. The latest of these are curbs on the internet.

Pakistan often competes with India because it sees its eastern neighbour as a fierce rival and often gives the impression it has the desire and the ability to match it in all spheres. But does any Pakistani who believes this ever reflect with honesty on whether it is true?

India is about four times bigger than Pakistan in terms of land mass and five to six times larger in population. Now, if we were competing like for like, we’d have been justifiably smug if, for example, our trade volume, foreign exchange reserves, GDP and other key development indicators reflected this proportion.

Who doesn’t know the history which tells us that while our eastern neighbour had political (leadership) continuity well past its first decade as an independent state (16 years to be precise), saw meaningful land reforms and investment in education, with at least five world class IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) set up within the first 14 years of its existence. Not forgetting the passage of its first constitution in 1950.

Hugely power-hungry players and their petty agendas take precedence over what is vital for the collective good.

In our case, a similar period of our existence saw the father of the nation passing away within 13 months of independence, assassination of his political heir apparent a few years later, and then a devastating and debilitating game of thrones which witnessed politicians and civil-military bureaucrats passing through a revolving door in power grabs, sanctioned by a superior judiciary that sullied itself and set the theme for years to come.

While India stayed on the democratic course, Pakistan strayed and strayed and strayed from it, in a tradition that continues to this day. The one area where Pakistan appeared to be ahead was in economic growth and development, funded by throwing in its lot with the West (read: the US) during the Cold War years and beyond.

In different forms, this slight edge continued till the early 1990s, when Manmohan Singh became India’s finance minister and embarked on an unprecedented reform and deregulation plan, which was to transform India’s economy and fate within a few years. There has been no looking back for it since.

Of course, critics of any such analysis would ask if Indian society is any better than Pakistan’s as a result of this economic growth and development. They’d cite the rise of Hindutva ideology and list its negative impact on the country and its unity. That would be valid criticism, as that is true.

Any such analysis does not for a moment suggest that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was wrong in seeking and securing a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. He was right. It was his tragic death soon after independence that pushed Pakistan off track and into the direction in which it finds itself today.

The religious intolerance and strife in society and the extra-constitutional role and transgressions of various power players in the country since Mr Jinnah’s passing would have enraged him no end, and, frankly, they would not have happened had he lived through the initial years of Pakistan. But he did not.

What we have as a result is an unmitigated mess where various hugely power-hungry and self-righteous players and their petty agendas take precedence over what is vital for the collective good of the country and its citizens.

While many executives of Indian origin are now at the helm of global technology giants (a tribute to the quality education imparted by the IITs, 23 of which exist today with an enrolment of nearly 100,000 students at any given time), we are still debating whether free access to the internet is highly desirable or anathema to our society.

I became aware through an anecdote of the quality of IIT education when, in the early 1990s, my nephew, then at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), told me that he was quite surprised to see some Indian students transferring directly from IITs to MIT undergrad programmes.

The result of this education and Dr Singh’s reform was that the Indian tech sector grew exponentially, like the rest of the economy. India today is home to some of the world’s leading technology companies, and their software exports total more than $200 billion a year, and are likely to grow further. India’s exports are services-led. So should ours.

Pakistan’s software exports are around $3.2bn annually. By no means is this comparison meant to run down our companies and IT professionals but merely to demonstrate the growth potential. Our firms have performed so well even when unsupported by government policy — not just unsupported, but often restricted, as is happening with this new VPN allergy that the rulers have developed.

Whatever the rationale they have cited for restricting free access to the modern tools of communication and information technology, it will not stand the test of time nor sanity. Contentious political issues will not be resolved by turning off the IT tap.

In fact, it is tantamount to turning off the water, food supply (even oxygen) to an entire city’s population because hiding among them are some terrorists. Any law enforcement has to be targeted and pinpointed. This collective punishment is self-defeating.

Instead of scoring own goals, those running the country should reflect and ask themselves whether they wish to see Pakistan as a modern developing/ developed state with its abundant youth talent contributing to its development, earning it billions in badly needed foreign exchange, or a dysfunctional isolationist security state perpetually in need of bailouts with all their negative consequences.

The writer is a former editor of Dawn.

abbas.nasir@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024

 

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‘Un-Islamic’ VPNs​

Editorial
November 17, 2024

WHY the Council of Islamic Ideology chose to step into the debate defies understanding. After all, the institution usually remains a silent spectator while the powerful do as they please.

For example, one does not recall the CII’s position on whether enforced disappearances are in line with Islamic values or whether collective punishment is permitted by religion. Yet on Friday, it barged into a raging controversy over internet censorship to endorse and commend the government’s decision to ban VPNs, condemning the technology as a tool for spreading evil and immorality and undermining Pakistan’s Islamic values.

One wonders what information or facts the CII based its assessment on. No serious study has yet been undertaken by any government authority to determine how VPNs are used in Pakistan or to what extent they are contributing to ‘corrupting’ society as compared to the other ignominies inflicted on the Pakistani people. What, really, was the cause of its moral panic?

Clearly, very few took the CII’s perspective seriously. Just about an hour after the council issued its edict, the prime minister of Pakistan posted a congratulatory message on social media platform X for the Sri Lankan president on his party’s victory in recently held polls. He could not have done so without a VPN because X has been blocked for all Pakistani citizens since February. In fact, many government functionaries have continued to post on the platform in outright defiance of the ban, giving the lie to the state’s official concerns about the ‘misuse’ of X and VPNs.

It is, therefore, quite unfortunate to see religion being utilised to justify a ban that even government functionaries do not appear to believe in. It is regrettable that the government chose the CII for this purpose and a matter of concern that the council has allowed itself to be used in this manner. It will only diminish its standing.

If curbing pornography is really the country’s foremost concern while it stumbles from one crisis to the next, there must be better ways to do so. Resorting to ham-handed measures that could not only stifle the growth of Pakistan’s budding digital economy but also dissuade foreign investors from taking it seriously cannot be the way.

For one, these measures will directly impact the prospects of countless young entrepreneurs hoping to make a mark in the global digital economy, leaving them angry and frustrated.

Further, if official policies continue to be guided by an obsession with controlling dissent and curtailing criticism of powerful quarters, the clampdown on social media may widen further, which will compound the negative impact on a broad range of industries that now rely on e-commerce and digital marketing for growth. The authorities should consider these consequences lest they end up causing lasting damage to the country.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024