The unauthorized and illegal use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has surged across Pakistan due to recent internet slowdowns and intermittent outages.

In response, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has proposed the early formation of a VPN policy to the Ministry of Information Technology.

While PTA clarified that VPNs would not be banned but registered, millions of freelancers and IT companies have turned to VPNs, and a noticeable increase has been observed among telecom consumers. PTA emphasized that VPN registration is crucial for digital safety and personal data security.

Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima, denied any intentional internet suspension or reduction in speed, attributing perceived slowdowns to increased VPN usage.

PTA Chairman, retired Maj Gen Hafeezur Rehman, attributed the slowdown to a damaged submarine cable and dismissed rumors of firewall installation, clarifying that it was merely an upgrade to the government's web management system.