The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology expressed serious displeasure over the closure of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Pakistan, in search of a reaction from the attorney fashionable and the interior secretary over it. Chairperson of the committee, Palwasha Khan, warned that the difficulty may want to become political and create troubles if mass protests erupted with the aid of hundreds of thousands of affected freelancers. She announced that the committee could advise immediately action to resolve the difficulty and draft a letter to the prime minister. “The internet is facing problems within the usa, unfavourable humans’s organizations. Why is the state minister isn’t taking part in the committee meeting and heading off answering questions?” she requested. Senator Afnanullah Khan stated there were greater than one million freelancers, adding that this type of approach to the problem need to be observed that no person is rendered unemployed. During a briefing to the committee, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Hafeezur Rehman harassed that the IT industry could not characteristic without VPN. “The commonplace man, freelancers and agencies all want VPNs,” he said. “The VPN registration policy changed into formulated in 2016. We have once again commenced registration of VPNs.” He additionally pronounced that 25,000 VPNs had been registered, and groups at the whitelist will not face disruptions of in net. He additionally knowledgeable the committee that extra than 500,000 obscene websites have been blocked in the u . S . That have been accessed by 20 million people in a week. “Whenever the internet is close down, the enterprise is harm,” the PTA chairman advised the committee. He additionally stated that the net carrier in Balochistan had been suspended because of protection worries after the Ministry of Interior wrote a letter to the PTA. The committee participants then wondered the connection among VPN and halal and haram, adding that it become a mockery of faith. Senator Afnan said that VPN blocking off is the jurisdiction of the IT Ministry, asking how the Interior Ministry was writing letters approximately it. “People have invested cash and hooked up a firewall. Non-provision of internet is a contravention of human rights” stated Senator Kamran Murtaza, including that the issue of internet shutdown has been happening considering the fact that February 17. Committee participants debated the stability among curtailing indecent content material and ensuring internet freedom. Senator Afnanullah criticized selective restrictions, questioning why systems like TikTok stay operational whilst others are blocked. Committee members urged better coordination between the Ministry of IT, the Ministry of Interior, and the PTA. “VPNs are crucial tools, now not only for IT professionals however for companies national. The authorities ought to offer readability and protect livelihoods,” stated Palwasha Khan. The committee additionally expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of IT’s absence on the meeting. “The State Minister’s absence displays poorly on the ministry’s performance,” introduced the chairperson. The committee will are looking for responses from the Ministry of Interior in the next meeting and paintings closer to a decision that balances safety worries with the desires of Pakistan’s IT sector.
