Chairman CII takes U-turn on controversial VPN Fatwa

LAHORE: Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Allama Raghib Naeemi has clarified his earlier statement regarding Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), attributing the controversy to a typographical error. He stressed that VPNs were not declared un-Islamic or ‘haram’.

As per the details, the clarification comes after a recent statement by the CII allegedly termed the use of VPNs as un-Islamic, prompting the Interior Ministry to direct the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block unregistered VPNs. Following this directive, the PTA reportedly blocked several VPN services.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Allama Raghib Naeemi spoke on the issue, saying, “social media is a powerful tool for sharing ideas and opinions. However, its misuse for blasphemy, sectarianism or extremist activities is unacceptable.”

He added that the use of social media would indeed become un-Islamic if these laws were violated. The CII chairman clarified that none of the council had declared VPNs un-Islamic or illegal.

“The misunderstanding arose due to a typographical error in our issued statement. The omission of the word ‘no’ caused confusion,” he explained. Allama Naeemi further emphasized the responsible use of social media, urging the public to refrain from activities that promote hatred, terrorism or religious intolerance.