LAHORE: In response to a recent fatwa issued by the Islamic Ideological Council declaring Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as un-Islamic (haram), renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil has expressed his views, questioning the rationale behind the decision.

Speaking to a private channel, Maulana Tariq Jamil stated that if VPNs are considered un-Islamic, then mobile phones should also be deemed “haram,” as they can be used to access a wide range of content, including what is typically restricted by VPNs.

Maulana Tariq Jamil further remarked that he was unaware of the specific religious council responsible for issuing the fatwa, but he believed that deeming VPNs as “haram” was a narrow-minded stance.

He stressed that there were far more problematic elements within mobile phones that could be more detrimental than VPN usage. This debate comes after the Islamic Ideological Council’s fatwa, which declared VPNs illegal, citing concerns over their potential to bypass internet censorship and access prohibited material.

Additionally, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had recently blocked a significant number of unregistered VPNs across the country.

Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of Interior directed the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) to block all illegal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), saying the proxies were not only being used by the terrorists but also by internet users for “discreetly” accessing pornographic and blasphemous contents.

The interior ministry’s letter to the PTA has come on the heels of frequent internet disruptions in Pakistan amid wide use of VPNs to access X, formerly Twitter - from the prime minister down to the common man - as the micro-blogging site isn’t accessible for several months now. The ban on X was followed by the government’s reported move to slowdown internet.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 18 2024

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