Apropos a report titled ‘Concerns over new govt plans to monitor online traffic’ published in Dawn on June 8, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has clarified that its efforts to monitor grey traffic through a technical solution are in accordance with law and as per the directives issued by the Supreme Court and the government.

The technical system is being deployed with the joint efforts of all the stakeholders.

The PTA stated that an automated technical solution to identify content carrying blasphemous, immoral material, hate speech and anti-state would also be strictly in accordance with its mandate and legal framework.

It is pertinent to mention that the PTA did not respond to queries prior to the publishing of the report. Dawn’s report was based on details mentioned in an official notification issued by the PTA to cellular operators that stated the system would monitor communications for the purposes of national security.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2019