• Council of Islamic Ideology asks govt to block technologies ‘affecting social values’
• Interior ministry claims terrorists using the software for attacks, asks PTA to block unregistered ones
• PM posts on X minutes after CII’s proclamation

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Friday termed the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to access “immoral” content un-Islamic, even as the Ministry of Interior sought a ban on the unregulated use of such software.

The use of VPNs has surged in Pakistan as people are using them to access X, which has been banned since February, as well as a host of other sites. Authorities claim the software is also being used to bypass restrictions on pornographic content.

In a proclamation on Friday, the CII — which advises parliament on aligning legislation with Islamic teachings — said using VPNs to access “immoral or illegal content” is against Sharia.

CII Chairman Allama Dr Raghib Naeemi said Islamic laws allow the government to prevent actions that lead to the “spread of evil”.

He added that any platform used for posting content that is controversial, blasphemous, or against national integrity “should be stopped immediately”.

The government should ensure that “effective restrictions are imposed on the use of such means and technologies that affect social values and respect for the law”.

“The state’s move to ban VPNs is commendable, therefore, we support and appreciate these steps,” the statement added.

It also referred to an earlier meeting of the council held on May 30, 2023, that recommended the government take steps to prevent the misuse of social media and block access to blasphemous and immoral content.

Dr Naeemi said CII has already recommended to the government that the PTA and FIA should start registering websites and take steps to shut down all VPNs without any delay.

He added that according to the principles of Sharia, the legitimacy or illegitimacy of any action depends on its purpose and the target of its usage.

VPNs are commonly used for security and privacy purposes, but it has often been seen that VPNs were used to access websites that may be legally prohibited or blocked by the government, the CII head said.

These include immoral websites or those that spread lies or disinformation in society and create anarchy.

“Online theft [is] also done through VPNs and it could not be traced,” he said.

This falls under the category of assistance to sin, which is prohibited in Sharia and according to Islamic teachings, every Muslim is obligated to abide by the laws of this country, the CII chief reasoned.

“Provided that those laws do not conflict with Islamic principles, there are no such websites blocked in Pakistan from which people can legitimately obtain entertainment, information, earn money, or communicate”.

Even though the CII has declared the use of VPNs un-Islamic, top government officials, ministries, and their affiliated departments have been actively using them to access X, since it was banned in February.

Only an hour after the CII issued its statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official X account made a post congratulating the Sri Lankan president on the victory of his party in recent polls.

Ministry seeks ban on VPNs

Meanwhile, the interior ministry has claimed that terrorists are using VPNs to plan their attacks and make financial transactions.

“...VPNs are increasingly being exploited by the terrorists to facilitate violent activities and (carry out) financial transactions in Pakistan,” the ministry wrote in its letter to PTA.

These VPNs allow terrorists to “obscure and conceal their communications,” said the letter, seen by Dawn.

“VPNs are also being used to discreetly access pornographic and blasphemous contents,” the ministry said while referring to reports of Pakistan being one of the leading countries in terms of visits to porn sites.

Earlier this week, PTA claimed that approximately 20 million attempts were made from within the country to access pornographic websites daily, which were blocked.

These issues “warranted the prohibition of unauthorised VPNs”, the ministry said and requested the telecom regulator to block “illegal VPNs”.

The PTA has already initiated a scheme for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders to register their VPNs to ensure “uninterrupted” service in case of any disruption.

On Tuesday, the authority hosted a consultation session with industry stakeholders on this issue. The regulator introduced a new registration process where VPNs could be registered through a new online portal.

The ministry, in its letter to PTA, said the registration should be allowed till November 30.

Last week, a nationwide disruption rendered VPNs dysfunctional. While PTA linked the issue to a “technical glitch” in the system, media reports said authorities conducted a six-hour trial during which over two dozen VPNs were blocked.

Earlier this week, the Religious Affairs Ministry also asked the PTA to stop access to blasphemous and pornographic content.

In reply to the ministry, the regulator said VPN usage would be restricted.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024