Govt Likely to Extend Deadline for VPN Registration 

The federal government is likely to extend the deadline for registering Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) till end of December 2024.  The current deadline for registering VPN is November 30, however, facing severe pressure, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has requested to extend the deadline, sources told ProPakistani.  Around one million freelancers in the country who bring around $400 million in the country are at risk on account of VPN blockage from November 30. Many stakeholders have called for both an extension of the registration period and a simplified registration procedure.  The Ministry of Interior had previously directed the PTA to ensure all VPNs are registered by the end of November. The PTA had also announced that unregistered VPNs would be blocked starting December 1.  The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, fearing millions of dollars loss in terms of IT remittances on account of proposed VPN blocking, termed it illegal, as it was not in law to block an app.  The Ministry of Information Technology as well as PTA failed to satisfy the Committee on proposed blocking of VPN from November 30.  PTA was of the opinion that if VPNs are registered, internet shutdowns would no longer happen in Pakistan. PTA has already registered more than 25,000 VPNs under a policy initially introduced in 2016. Registering VPNs would mitigate all internet issues for businesses in Pakistan.  PTA had also announced that the process of registering VPNs for businesses and freelancers has been made easier. According to a statement issued by the PTA, software houses, call centers, banks, embassies, and freelancers can now register their VPNs through the PTA’s official website.  The statement also mentioned that members of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) can benefit from this facility. To complete the VPN registration, PTA explained that applicants must fill out an online form and provide basic details.