Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman revealed on Thursday that the authority is prepared to lift the ban on X (formerly Twitter) if the government requests it. The platform has been suspended in Pakistan since February 17 due to national security concerns but remains accessible through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
During a Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat meeting chaired by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hasan, Rehman explained that the PTA enforces social media platform bans only at the direction of the government. He noted that X has demonstrated low compliance with Pakistani regulations, addressing only 7% of user complaints in the past three months.
Rehman highlighted a significant decline in X's usage within Pakistan, reporting a 70% decrease despite the platform’s availability through VPNs. To address this, the PTA plans to restrict VPN access by allowing only whitelisted VPNs, which will limit the public's ability to use certain services.
In terms of internet access, Rehman shared that approximately 56% of Pakistan's population currently has internet connectivity. Looking ahead, the PTA is preparing for a 5G spectrum auction scheduled for March-April 2025.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also addressed the issue of social media taxation during the meeting. Tarar emphasized the need for taxation on international social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, and mentioned ongoing negotiations about setting up virtual offices in Pakistan.
The discussion also covered local mobile phone production, with Rehman noting that 37 companies are now manufacturing around 20 million phones annually. Additionally, Rehman assured that Pakistan imposes a 34.50% tax on telecom services and reported no cyberattacks on telecom networks over the past two years.
