Will the PTA start blocking unregistered VPNs across Pakistan before 31 January 2027?

Pakistan has required VPN services to register with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, with officials periodically setting and then extending deadlines for compliance rather than moving straight to enforcement. Unregistered VPNs remain widely used by freelancers, businesses and ordinary users to reach blocked platforms, so an actual blocking rollout — as opposed to further warnings or deadline extensions — would be a significant escalation from the pattern seen so far. Resolves: 31 January 2027 • Source: PTA official notification or statement (pta.gov.pk), as reported by Dawn Rule: Resolves YES if the PTA publicly confirms — in a notification, press release or official statement — that it has begun blocking unregistered VPN services for users across Pakistan, on or before 31 January 2027. A further extension of the registration deadline, a new licensing framework, warnings or deadlines without blocking, blocking limited to a single company or city, general internet slowdowns, and the blocking of individual apps or websites rather than VPN services do not count. Reports attributed only to unnamed officials do not count.