PTA's controversial WMS and VPN ban was imposed in 2019. The reasoning provided for the system is fair to an extent but the poor way in which it has been implemented has been causing problems for many in Pakistan. For those who don't know WMS means "Web monitoring system" and as the name implies, it watches what you do on the internet. This raises an obvious concern for privacy on the internet. The system in particular watches especially for "grey traffic" which is illegal internet traffic to the country from foreign countries. However, poor implementation of the system flags even harmless traffic such as discord calls or a simple connection to a foreign computer as grey traffic and stops it. Furthermore, the strict checking procedures result in the connections being disrupted or delayed which leads to a disconnection.

The main problem is the harm it's causing to gaming. The gaming industry is a flourishing sector which Pakistan should invest in and yet it doesn't. The issue caused by the system is not limited to an area, city or province but is in fact a countrywide problem. The system in particular affects P2P (peer to peer) games and voice chat, which is found in almost every game. Basically P2P means that a computer in Pakistan is connected to a foreign computer/server. The system implemented by PTA distupts this connection and makes the game nearly unplayable. In regards to voice chat, the system causes errors leading to robotic voices, your voice breaking up, and the voice chat straight up refusing to work. One particular well-known app affected by the WMS is Discord, which used primarily by gamers as a social platform to form groups and have fun playing together. The WMS ruins the discord experience for Pakistani players.

Another problem with the system is the fact that it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Although some websites and harmful content is blocked, much of it still exists. Moreover, the VPN ban instituted is ineffective. VPNs can still be used easily without any repercussions to access blocked content, hide their internet tracks, etc. An important thing to be remembered is that ISPs like PTCL are not the reason for this happening.

Lastly, the system itself has been employed wit the help of a controversial Canadian company Sandvine. Sandvine's tech has been used in Egypt, Belarus and other countries to block internet access, suppress political activity, download spyware in devices and other such purposes, which are considered human rights violations. Although Sandvine itself is not involved in blocking the internet, it's tech has been developed to have the capability to do so and has been used to do so. It should also be noted that a major branch of Sandvine operates in India, Pakistan's rival. I don't accuse Sandvine or its branch in India for anything but knowing this information is very important.

Conclusively, I urge PTA to either remove or rework the system so that it works as intended without side effects. I can see why the WMS is necessary but it is an obstacle to modernisation. The gaming industry in particular has suffered a lot. A modern Pakistan should be our goal. PTA should fulfill its responsibility to the country and fix the system. Hopefully, this petition will carry our words to the government and other organisations.