The alarm has been raised at the government’s plan to ban unregistered Virtual Private Networks by the end of this month. Stakeholders in Pakistan’s IT industry are viewing this as a serious threat to the digital economy. ISPs and software houses view blanket restrictions on VPNs as threats to legitimate activities like IT exports, secure financial transactions, and academic research.
Shahzad Arshad, Chairman of Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap), commented that VPNs are very important tools for both privacies and secure communications. Many international professionals and businesses use the service.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@sha) echoed these concerns, warning that the blocking of VPNs may cause severe operational and financial losses. Chairman P@sha Sajjad Mustafa Syed said that most of the international IT companies and call centers operate on VPNs to maintain international security standards.
He said such a move will force these businesses to go out of Pakistan or trim their business; therefore, they would lose jobs and Pak’s exports in the IT sector will decline significantly, damaging the country’s reputation to foreigners.
The digital marketing and social media industries are also at risk, pointed out the Public Relations Events Digital Activation Association (Preda). The group claimed that frequent internet disruptions and restrictions on social media platforms were damaging the country’s international image.
Social media is a crucial tool connecting clients worldwide with Pakistani service providers. The throttling of social media disrupts communication channels, further discouraging investments from abroad.
Industry leaders said that though the security issues have to be addressed, the method could not be blanket bans. Wispap and P@sha advocated for a collaboration between the regulators and the stakeholder community to come up with a balanced approach.
They suggested targeted regulation that would address malicious activities but leave the rights usages of VPNs unscathed. With such a well-thought strategy, national interests and the operational demands of the IT sector could be ensured simultaneously.
Industry bodies urged the government to take into account the economic impact of such measures. They feared that unless implemented with strategic foresight, Pakistan would soon isolate its digital economy away from the global market. The associations wished for a transparent dialogue with all stakeholders so that the country remains on course towards technological advancement without risking national security.
