PTA Chairman Explains Why TikTok Live Still Works in Pakistan

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) cannot fully stop people in Pakistan from accessing TikTok Live because the feature can still be reached through VPNs, PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman told a Senate committee.

TikTok Live and its offensive and potentially dangerous content came under discussion during a Senate committee meeting on Thursday.

Senator Afnan Ullah Khan told the Senate IT committee that inappropriate activity was taking place on TikTok Live and alleged that some users were producing blasphemous material through the platform.

Senator Kamran Murtaza also alleged that such content was being deliberately circulated to create social tensions.

NCCIA officials said the agency sends written requests to PTA when it identifies unlawful content requiring action.

The PTA chairman added that the regulator blocks objectionable material when it receives and verifies complaints.

The discussion has renewed questions over how authorities can enforce local rules when restricted platform features remain accessible through alternative routes.