Internet users in Pakistan encountered extensive disruptions to Virtual Private Network (VPN) services over the weekend, with numerous reports indicating “restricted access” and “throttled connectivity” affecting popular VPN providers. According to Dawn, these interruptions emerged just days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended congratulations to former US President Donald Trump on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), sparking online debate.

Reports quoting Downdetector highlighted issues with VPN services like VPN Unlimited and TunnelBear. Users reported connection challenges, with VPN Unlimited experiencing difficulties around 6:15 pm, while TunnelBear users continued to face connectivity problems into the evening. For many in Pakistan, VPNs are essential to access restricted sites like X, which remains blocked due to national security concerns.

This wave of VPN disruptions has reignited public discussions on digital freedom and government restrictions on internet access. VPNs have long provided a workaround for Pakistanis seeking access to blocked sites, raising questions about online freedom under current policies.

The debate intensified after Prime Minister Sharif’s congratulatory post on X, in which he wrote, “Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term! I look forward to working closely with the incoming administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-US partnership.” Following the post, X added a community note stating that Prime Minister Sharif had banned the platform in Pakistan, likely using a VPN himself to access it; a practice considered "unlawful under Pakistani law."

Pakistan’s ban on X dates back to February of this year, with authorities citing “national security concerns” and non-compliance with local laws as reasons for the restriction. These recent disruptions to VPN services have fuelled a renewed debate over the balance between national security and online freedom in Pakistan.