It was a typo: CII chief says VPNs aren’t ‘un-Islamic’

CII Chairman Raghib Hussain Naeemi has categorically denied declaring virtual private networks (VPNs) “unIslamic,” claiming a “typo” was to blame for the confusion surrounding the council’s decree during the government’s deadline to block all encrypted networks.

Naeemi insisted that no one has declared VPNs anti-Shariah or un-Islamic, adding: “Our previous statement omitted the word ‘not,’ which caused misunderstandings.”

In November, the council declared VPNs “un-Islamic” in a fatwa (Islamic decree) that drew widespread criticism.

As part of the debate, the council discussed how social media should be used in the country.

Naeemi explained the CII’s position on social media platforms by saying they are effective platforms for public expression, however, they cannot be used for blasphemy, religious hatred, extremism, or terrorism.

The cleric said that if these regulations are violated, social media use will not be Islamic.

In an earlier statement, the CII chairman clarified that the nature of the private gateways as Islamic or un-Islamic was largely dependent on their use.

The use of VPNs for indecent content and false propaganda is un-Islamic regardless of whether they are registered or not, said Naeemi in his appearance on Geo Pakistan’s morning show.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has extended the grace period for unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) until November 30.

Unauthorised VPNs have been misused to bypass internet restrictions and access forbidden content, leading to the decision.

VPNs that are not registered will be subject to a nationwide crackdown starting December 1.

VPN blocking has already been successfully tested, and a second test is planned to ensure readiness for a full-scale shutdown in the coming days.

Timenews1 provided that news.