VPN not working in Pakistan? Try this EASY fix! (September 2023)

If your VPN isn’t working in Pakistan, it isn’t good enough to get around the Pakistani government-enforced VPN blocks.

The Pakistani government has been trying to block VPNs since 2011, and if yours isn’t working, it isn’t good enough to get around these blocks.

This can be frustrating. However, don’t panic. There’s an easy way to fix this problem.

This article will show you how to fix VPN not working in Pakistan.

See also:

• VPN not working in Jordan? Here’s an EASY fix! (September 2023)
• VPN not working in Qatar? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)

VPN not working in Pakistan: Fix

If your VPN isn’t working in Pakistan, it doesn’t have measures in place to get around the Pakistani state’s VPN blocking techniques.

To get around this, you need to use a VPN that can get around these blocks.

All you need to do is follow these steps:

Why isn’t my VPN working in Pakistan?

The reason your VPN isn’t working in Pakistan is because it isn’t good enough to get around the VPN blocking techniques used by Pakistani state authorities.

In 2022, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) issued a law stating “businesses in the public and private sectors and individuals, including freelancers, must register their VPNs by October 31, 2022.”

This registration allows the government to monitor whether or not you’re using a VPN. Which goes completely against the anonymous internet security a VPN provides. 

The PTA also created a list of approved VPN providers that meet the requirement of the new law, and they’ve also employed VPN blocking techniques that try to prevent VPN usage. 

The Pakistani government declared it implemented these blocks because VPNs “VPNs are used to commit cybercrime and pose a security risk. However, many believe that the real reason for the ban is to prevent people from accessing banned websites, such as those containing pornography or gambling.”

How does my VPN get blocked in Pakistan?

The first and most obvious way your VPN will get blocked in Pakistan is if you register your VPN usage on the government database.

VPNs are intended to give you an anonymous internet connection. If you register your VPN on the PTA database, the government knows you’re using a VPN. This means you’re no longer anonymously surfing the internet, and if the government wants to stop VPN usage, it will block your VPN.

If you haven’t registered your VPN usage, the PTA also employs Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology that allows them to identify when online data comes through certain VPN protocols. 

If your VPN uses one of these protocols to reroute your data, the PTA can see this and will block the connection. 

Do VPNs work in Pakistan?

Yes, VPNs still work in Pakistan; however, you need a VPN that can stay ahead of the State’s Deep Packet Inspection and VPN blocking techniques.

While these blocks are relatively effective at blocking most VPNs, some VPNs have better protocols than others. These protocols determine how fast and secure a VPN is.

ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) uses its own protocol, Lightway, designed to be super fast and incredibly secure, and this protocol makes it a very good VPN for getting around Pakistan’s VPN blocks.

Lightway is a lightweight protocol, with 2,000 fewer lines of code than other protocols. It’s open-source software meaning it’s available for anyone to view and critique its security measures. And most testers have found it’s incredibly secure and the fastest protocol currently available on a VPN. 

This speed and security make it incredibly difficult for the Pakistani State authorities to identify that you’re using a VPN. And you’ll be able to use ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) in Pakistan reliably.

What if ExpressVPN gets blocked?

ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) uses a simple technique that allows it to provide you with IP addresses that will consistently work in Pakistan.

When an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is blocked by the State, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. 

This new IP will not have been blocked, and it allows you to stay one step ahead of the Pakistani VPN blocks, which means you’ll be able to go online with a VPN reliably in the country.