Pakistan VPN crisis hits workers hard while internet regulator stays silent

Free virtual private networks (VPNs) were disrupted across Pakistan on Sunday evening, affecting millions of internet users, particularly the country's large freelancer community which relies on VPNs to connect with international clients and access work-related services.

Pakistan's IT industry has long struggled with government regulations that, while ostensibly aimed at controlling dissent and critical speech on social media, often have unintended consequences for legitimate businesses.

This pattern was evident when Pakistan banned X in February 2024 amid protests over allegations of election rigging, forcing many businesses that rely on the platform for marketing and customer service to find workarounds.

Intentional disruption?

As per media reports, Sunday's disruption was deliberate blocking by the PTA. According to a report published by The News International, the interruption was a planned six-hour government trial to test blocking multiple VPNs simultaneously, though the strain on infrastructure led to its early termination following business sector backlash.

Sajjad Mustafa Syed, Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), confirmed to Nuktathat the regulatory authority lifted the blocking measures after his organization contacted PTA about the VPN issues. This ability to quickly restore services suggested PTA maintained direct control over the VPN restrictions.

This was confirmed to Nukta by the CEO of a local internet service provider, who said the regulatory authority lifted the blocking measures after the P@SHA contacted the PTA.

He explained that the PTA's VPN whitelisting process requires static IP addresses, which are primarily available only to companies, not individual users, due to the high costs.

Since free VPNs typically operate on dynamic rather than static IPs, they cannot be whitelisted under current regulations.

The CEO suggested the government's primary goal with the VPN restrictions is blocking access to X. Before X was banned in Pakistan, it had approximately 30 million users; that number has reportedly dropped to 1.5 million users who access it through VPNs.

He pointed out the irony that government officials, including the Prime Minister, reportedly use VPNs themselves. According to the CEO, the PTA's main complaint is that X doesn't adequately address their grievances or follow Pakistani government directives, leading to these broader VPN restrictions as an enforcement measure.

Or just a technical glitch?

On the other hand, P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed said that PTA characterized Sunday's disruption as a technical glitch when contacted by the industry body.

Syed noted that PTA, which acts as Pakistan's communications gatekeeper, typically implements such measures without advance notice to the industry.

While downplaying the immediate impact of the outage, he warned that prolonged VPN disruptions could damage Pakistan's international business reputation.

Former P@SHA Chairman Zohaib Khan also characterized the incident as merely a technical glitch that lasted between two and three hours before being resolved.

Khan provided historical context for VPN regulation in Pakistan, noting that during his tenure as P@SHA chairman, both his organization and the freelancers association had worked with the PTA to establish a VPN whitelisting system. Khan advocates for stronger regulation, arguing that illegal VPNs should be blocked in Pakistan.

Shahzad Arshad, chairman of the Wireless & Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP), stated that WISPAP had received no direct instructions from the PTA regarding VPN shutdowns.

Arshad went further to challenge the feasibility of the government's alleged strategy, asserting that banning VPNs entirely would be technically impossible.

Regulator silent

Despite overwhelming evidence of widespread disruptions, when contacted by Nukta's correspondent, a PTA spokesperson insisted that his VPN was functioning normally. Beyond this, PTA has maintained silence regarding the VPN disruptions.

VPN providers themselves contradict the PTA. ProtonVPN, one of the affected service providers, said in a statement to Nukta, "We've received similar reports from some other users as well, and we are actively monitoring the situation. If there are any further developments, we will make more improvements to enhance service availability despite the ongoing blocking attempts."

The company also publicly acknowledged Pakistan's VPN restrictions in response to a user reporting connection difficulties on X, stating: "Pakistan is one of the restrictive countries that are blocking VPN connections." They advised users to attempt different connection protocols available in their app settings to potentially circumvent these restrictions.

Meanwhile, actions by affiliated agencies suggest a coordinated effort to regulate VPN usage. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) issued a circular to the IT industry requiring VPN registration on Monday.

In its communication, the Industry Facilitation Department of PSEB acknowledged VPNs as "crucial tools" for businesses, enabling secure connections and supporting remote operations, particularly for cross-border IT assignments.

While noting that VPN usage remains permitted for legitimate purposes across various sectors - including banking, foreign missions, corporate enterprises, universities, IT companies, call centers, and freelancers - the letter notably emphasized that "in light of security concerns and to curb misuse, the government is introducing stricter regulations on VPN usage."

Consequences for workers

The impact of these disruptions has been immediate and severe for Pakistan's digital workforce. "I lost three hours of billable work," says Karachi-based freelance video editor Mashhood Jafri. "My clients don't understand these disruptions - they just see missed deadlines."

Razi Wani, a producer at Nukta, described similar challenges, "While I was researching a story on X, my regular VPN, WARP, wouldn't connect. I had to scramble to find alternatives while managing my deadlines. I downloaded eight different VPNs trying to get it to work."

The incident's characterization as a "temporary disruption" affecting only "certain areas or users for a brief period" understates the scale of what was effectively a significant malfunction, impacting millions of users and disrupting critical business operations nationwide.

Long-running effort to regulate VPNs

The incident marks the latest development in Pakistan's long-running efforts to regulate VPN usage. Since 2020, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has intensified its blocking of unregistered VPNs across the country. According to PTA sources, these temporary blockages are part of a whitelisting process, with the authority citing unregistered VPNs as potential security risks capable of accessing sensitive data.

Official documents indicate that VPN registration initiatives began as early as 2010, with approximately 20,500 VPNs and more than 1,422 companies registered to date. The PTA has expressed intentions to accelerate this whitelisting process.

As Pakistan's digital workforce grapples with these challenges, the contrast between official explanations minimizing the issue and the reality of disrupted livelihoods is severe. Whether termed as technical issues or regulatory measures, the impact on Pakistan's growing digital economy appears increasingly significant.