Stressing the necessity to block entry to immoral or blasphemous content material on the web, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Friday declared the usage of Digital Personal Networks (VPNs) as “un-Islamic”.
In an announcement, Council of Islamic Ideology Chairman Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi mentioned the federal government has the proper to curb evil and stop entry to it.
He declared that taking measures to forestall or prohibit the entry to immoral and offensive content material is in accordance with the Sharia.
“Utilizing VPN with the intention of accessing unlawful content material or blocked web sites is in opposition to the Shariah.”
On-line theft can be attainable via VPN with out leaving any traces, Naeemi mentioned, including that it’s accountability of the federal government to ban the usage of such means which might undermine social values and the observance of legislation.
He mentioned each Muslim is sure to abide by the Structure and legal guidelines of the nation until they’re opposite to the Islamic ideas.
The event got here hours after the Ministry of Inside wrote a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to dam unlawful VPNs, highlighting rising dangers to nationwide safety and public morality.
“VPNs are more and more being exploited by the terrorists,” acknowledged the ministry’s letter, a duplicate of which obtained by Geo Information, “[…] to facilitate violent actions and monetary transactions in Pakistan.”
“Off late, an alarming reality has been recognized, whereby VPNs are utilized by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications.”
Moreover, the unregulated VPNs have been additionally getting used for discreetly accessing pornographic and blasphemous content material, it added.
VPNs are generally used worldwide to bypass restricted content material.
In Pakistan, the usage of VPNs witnessed a spike after authorities banned social media website X (previously Twitter) earlier this yr over “nationwide safety” considerations.
Nonetheless, in the case of its misuse, Pakistanis are making as much as 20 million day by day makes an attempt to entry blocked express content material through unregistered digital personal networks, regardless of authorities restrictions.
Pointing to a different situation associated to public morality, the ministry acknowledged that “Pakistan is taken into account one of many nations the place porn websites are steadily visited by utilizing VPNs, nevertheless, these tendencies warrant the prohibition of unauthorised digital personal networks to handle the essential threats”.
In its formal request to ban these illegitimate platforms, the PTA was requested to “block unlawful VPNs throughout Pakistan in order that registered VPN customers might not be affected”.
“As well as, registration of VPNs with PTA might also be made until November 30, 2024,” it asserted.