Speaking at the Senate Standing Committee on IT meeting in Islamabad, which was presided over by Palwasha Khan, was the PTA chief.

The continuous regulation of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Pakistan was the main topic of discussion. The committee called for the next meeting and voiced concerns about the Minister of State for IT’s absence for the third consecutive session.

“We have spent the last two years developing VPN legislation. Uninterrupted internet connection is guaranteed by registered VPNs without sacrificing privacy, according to the PTA chairman.

During the session, Senator Muhammad Humayun criticized the measures, saying, “Shutting down platforms like X (formerly Twitter) is jeopardizing the entire IT industry and impacting the livelihoods of over 2.5 million individuals in Pakistan.”

He opposed laws that would hurt independent contractors and small companies.

Although the PTA promised that registered VPNs would not experience internet outages, committee members wanted to know the exact legal foundation for these regulations. Senator Kamran Murtaza asked for documents that detailed the requirements for registration.

“If VPN services are abruptly halted, there will be a major backlash,” Senator Afnan Ullah said. While pointing out that Pakistan’s IT exports had increased by 20% in the previous year, he emphasised that the sector was still lagging behind India.

Concerns over the viability of the existing VPN whitelist method were voiced by the committee. While IT officials admitted that more than 1 million freelancers in Pakistan rely significantly on VPNs for their business, Senator Humayun pointed out that the laws should be more beneficial than harmful.

For the first time ever, the benchmark KSE-100 Index has surpassed 95,000 points, marking a historic milestone for the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

The KSE-100 Index reached a record high of 95,874 points on Monday, up 878 points. Strong investor optimism, fuelled by upbeat market sentiment and good economic statistics, is reflected in the surge.

Strong company profitability, foreign investment inflows, and optimism about the nation’s economic policies are some of the elements that market analysts attribute to this surge. Restoring the 95,000-point barrier is seen as a major turning event in the history of the PSX.

An important indicator of Pakistan’s economic progress and investor confidence, the PSX’s position is strengthened by this development. A notable increase in trading volumes also suggested that investors were becoming more active in the market.

The new record is anticipated to improve the overall economic picture by drawing in more foreign and domestic investment.

A petition to register two FIRs for the same occurrence was denied by a Supreme Court Constitution Bench on Monday, stating that it was inadmissible.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandukhel chastised Waseem Ahmed Khan, the petitioner, for bringing the case, pointing out that these kinds of petitions add to the Supreme Court’s overwhelming backlog of cases, which currently stands at over 60,000. According to Justice Mandukhel, “we are repeatedly reminded of the pending cases,” raising doubts about the petition’s urgency.

Justice Mandukhel expressed his disgust by asking, “Why not penalise your application and dismiss it? Will you also file these cases in courts since you are a lawyer?

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar emphasised that the court had previously rendered decisions in the Sughra Bibi case on comparable issues. He further questioned why the petitioner had not brought the second FIR issue before the High Court.

The bench’s ruling highlights the judiciary’s worry over pointless lawsuits clogging the system.