Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi, has issued a clarification regarding the council’s recent fatwa that labeled the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as un-Islamic.

During an interview on Geo News , he stated that regardless of whether a VPN is registered or unregistered, it is considered un-Islamic if used to access indecent content or spread false propaganda.

The CII had previously emphasized the importance of blocking immoral or blasphemous content on the internet, which led to the fatwa issued on November 15.

Naeemi highlighted that many VPN users access indecent websites, noting that there are approximately 15 million hits on such sites daily.

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He mentioned that using a registered VPN for constructive criticism is acceptable.

In response to the CII’s stance, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah criticized the council’s opinion, asserting that the issue of VPNs is not within the purview of the CII.

He stated that the government’s actions regarding VPN restrictions were aimed at preventing the misuse of social media platforms and that the matter should not be conflated with religious rulings.