Raghib Naeemi, who advises the government on religious issues, said that Islamic laws allow the government to prevent actions that lead to the "spread of evil."

Pakistan’s top body of clerics, which advises the government on religious issues, has declared the use of virtual private networks against Islamic laws as the government seeks to ban them.

The use of VPNs has surged in Pakistan since February, particularly after the government banned the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology faced backlash for declaring VPN use to access blocked content as un-Islamic. Critics, including digital rights activists and scholars, argue this stance contradicts privacy rights and highlights governance issues in the country.

VPN usage has risen sharply in Pakistan, with many using the software to access X (formerly Twitter), which has been banned since February, along with other restricted sites. Authorities assert that VPNs are also being employed to bypass blocks on pornographic content.

The statement comes as Pakistan authorities deploy a nationwide internet firewall which they claim as a cybersecurity upgrade.

In Pakistan, accessing blocked content via virtual private networks (VPNs) is prohibited under Shariah, or Islamic law, the country's top religious body has declared.

While some religious scholars distance themselves from Council of Islamic Ideology head Raghib Naeemi's remark, it aligns with Premier Sharif's government's plans to ban VPNs - Anadolu Ajansı

Senator Palwasha Khan has called a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, which she heads, on November 18.