PTA Wants Users to Register Their VPNs or Face Disconnection & Legal Action

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started blacklisting IP addresses using unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), directing all such users to get their VPNs registered.

According to confirmed sources, a number of corporate connections have been blocked due to the use of VPNs in a bid to block grey traffic and illegal Voice over IP (VoIP) companies working as call centers and doing data entry operations.

On condition of anonymity, a PTA official told ProPakistani that the authority has deployed a sophisticated system to curb grey traffic by detecting unregistered VPNs.


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A number of companies in Pakistan are running call centers through VPNs thus pretending to be working in the US or other countries. It all falls under the grey traffic category, however, the IP addresses are currently being blocked for corporate clients of different Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The ISPs have been notified of the development, directing them to convey the message to all corporate clients using unregistered VPNs. The deadline for the registration is 30th June 2020 and those failing to comply with the directives will have to face legal action if they are using VPNs for any illegal activities.

Use of any mode of communication such as VPN by means of which communication becomes hidden or encrypted is a violation of PTA regulations. Users which are required to use VPN for their legitimate purposes must register their VPN with PTA through their respective Internet Service Provider till 30-06-2020.


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What are your thoughts on the story? Let us know in the comments.

Head of Sports and LENS at ProPakistani.pk


      • PTA headed by Retd. Major General Bajwa has decided to kill free of speech in Pakistan. It has nothing to do with grey telephony as people aren’t using apps to call from overseas to mobile/landlines in Pakistan. They use WhatsApp, Skype etc. PTA very well knows this, they want to control what you are saying on social media and what you are doing. Next China we are going to be.

        Thank you Imran/Bajwa.
        BTW have they taken any good initiatives to block p0 rn in Pakistan?

    • use nordlynx protocol on iOS & obfuscation in Android. PTA won’t know what hit ’em…

    • torproject.org is alreasdy blocked in paksitan, you cant use tor to stream netflix.

    • its for both, vpn either corporate or for casual internet user uses specific ports and protocols and its easier to block. UAE and China are already doing it. We are next Hong Kong

    • I read some where that u have to go to ur Internet Service Provider (ISP) for that.

  • This is unacceptable hypocrisy. PTA already has the power to block any IP Addresses they want to and monitor all Internet traffic going through Pakistan.
    ISI, military establishment already has formed monopoly & has too much control over the Internet in Pakistan.
    It is the right of everyone to access all Internet without PTA null routing IPs.

    • I have witnessed cases where the Army/ISI personnel have used this public data for their own personal use to invade anyone’s privacy they wanted, and there is no check on them. They can invade our privacy for their personal gain anytime.

  • They can block everything except saba kay messages, illegal sims and theft of citizen biometrics from compromised telco touch points.

  • How can they do that without any prior notice or advertisement. We are having a very difficult time facing the annoying customer because we haven’t been able to connect with their secure servers through VPN. This can really ruin the software industry. Everybody isn’t involved in generating grey traffic. I’m afraid.. such policy makers are either illiterate about IT industry or willing to drown this government.

  • it’s not PTA @ fault, there’s lobbies behind it.
    let’s 100% privatize PTCL and whatever linked to it and you’ll see all the PTA bullshit will go away.

  • Koi business chalnay na dena. Kuch ,$$$ hi aatay thay na call center se. Export waisay hi koi nahi pakistan ki.
    Agar karna hi tha to step by step kartay .

  • Army personals and FIA Cyber crime officials now a days are selling personal data of people in Pindi.
    Even they are spying on their family members and girls.
    Conclusion: There is no privacy in Pakistan.

  • Use of any mode of communication such as VPN by means of which communication becomes hidden or encrypted is a violation of PTA regulations.

    Iss condition pr tw whatsapp bhi block hona bnta hai

  • Why not block Internet as a whole?. Also Why as a Pakistani I don’t have any Privacy?.
    Who has given the right to any Official of Pakistan to spy and take my personal Information?. Who can give the guarantee that my personal information will not be used against me?

    All over the world VPN is now considered a fundamental tool. but Pakistani establishment is living in 1980s. Our government is dragging us backwards. We can never be an IT super power when Jaahil Officers of PTA will be governing us.

  • We had contacted our legal team to file a case against this act of digital terrorism. Our whole company structure runs through a vpn and we cannot afford to lose our customer and database privacy. PTA never send a notice, and we have a reason to believe that this action is biased and driven by a oneman show… Pathetic!!!

  • By registering VPN they mean to give away the private keys as they don’t have technology to do deep packet inspection. Freedom of expression and right to privacy means nothing in Pakistan. The government should be ashamed of such a heinous crime against privacy of people.

  • معلوم نہیں کہ اس کا مطلب کیا ہے مگر جو بھی ہے کچھ اچھا نہیں ہے

  • Hello. How are we going to register? Are we supposed to call our ISP and give the VPN name such as Express VPN or NordVPN? This is very vague. Some help in this regard would be appreciated.

  • Relax, I just talked to a PTA official, a lot of spies and terrorists have been using VPN to hide their location and data, this drive is to curb that, you shouldn’t be worried if you are not one of them, if you have nothing to hide then you should not be worried, this does not affect domestic users at all. If you are facing issues with VPN then it’s because of increased Internet traffic during COVID-19 and over saturation of connections by ISPs. BTW all these people yelling freedom of speech, sound fishy.

    • yar benazir income support walay tu kisi vpn sy call nai kartay. local number hota hai. kon pakra gaya? inko kaun pakray ga?

    • Of course all spies will use VPN but what about local governance? There is no crime control locally then why blame enemies?

  • all valid VPN should be allowed. and all VPN should comply with govt regulations if and when they require information for any criminal activity. all VPN and telco companies provide this data to all governments in the west, they should do the same in Pakistan too. PTA should stop applying micky mouse approach to register etc, dont re invent the wheel, go with best practice already applied worldwide.

  • This is not good at all people use vpn for protect their connections to get be hacked. It is little bit ok to block vpns cause many people change their locations illegally. At the end it is not good for now cause some people do not have to do anything in lockdown and they watches Porn to spend their time in Chaska…

  • Where is freedom of speech now?? India ko kehta hai Kashmir me Internet on Karo lekin Imran Niazi khud to tanqeed bardash nahi karsakta now next target Facebook, Twitter and Google to kill freedom of speech

  • Gen Bajwa want to kill freedom of speech USA and all democratic countries should impose immediately sanction on Pakistan

    • Jahil insaan.No one is blocking your “freedom of speech”.

      None of your platforms are being targeted you idoit

  • The most stupid and annoying move by the authorities. This will make freelancing even harder. There are many task that requires mutilple VPN sometimes a freelancer would use many VPNs. Is he suppose to freaking register every info to the ISP? what a joke this stupid government is

  • VPN registration is delayed until July 31. It is still very confusing but it looks like businesses are key target of this move.

  • Is there any update regarding VPN registration for consumers like freelancers? Which VPNs are working correctly right now? PTA has banned ProtonVPN which was working perfectly for freelancing before such legal requirement. Any help will be appreciated.


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