Encryption Law by Country
Where strong encryption is a right, restricted, or compelled. National law and policy, mirrored per country.
Source: Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption, updated 2026-07-02. Full data at www.gp-digital.org/world-map-of-encryption
Encryption Law by Country (196)
General right to encryption
No known legislation or policies.
Mandatory minimum or maximum encryption strength
No known legislation or policies.
Licensing/registration requirements
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority requires prior approval for the use of VPNs in their licensing agreements. A copy of the licence agreement template can be found here .
Import/export controls
No known legislation or policies.
Other restrictions
Regulation 5 of the Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephony Traffic Regulations 2010 provides that licensed mobile and telephony service providers must establish systems for monitoring telecommunication traffic (voice and data). These systems must ensure that voice and data signalling information is uncompressed, unencrypted, and not formatted in a manner which the installed monitoring system is unable to decipher. A copy of the Regulations can be found here .
Obligations on individuals to assist authorities
Section 35 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, provides law enforcement officers various powers relating to information systems. One of these is a power to require any person who is in possession of “decryption information of an information system, device or data under investigation” to grant the officer access to such data, device or information system “in unencrypted or decrypted intelligible format” for the purposes of investigating the offence. A copy of the law can be found here .
Obligations on providers to assist authorities
Section 35 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, provides law enforcement officers various powers relating to information systems. One of these is a power to require any person who is in possession of “decryption information of an information system, device or data under investigation” to grant the officer access to such data, device or information system “in unencrypted or decrypted intelligible format” for the purposes of investigating the offence. A copy of the law can be found here . Regulation 5 of the Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephony Traffic Regulations 2010 provides that licensed mobile and telephony service providers must establish systems for monitoring telecommunication traffic (voice and data). These systems must ensure that voice and data signalling information is uncompressed, unencrypted, and not formatted in a manner which the installed monitoring system is unable to decipher. A copy of the Regulations can be found here .
Assessment Text Area
In Pakistan, the ability to use encrypted technologies is largely restricted. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority requires prior approval for the use of VPNs in their licensing agreements. Law enforcement officers have various powers relating to decryption including requiring officers access to such data, device or information system “in unencrypted or decrypted intelligible format” for the purposes of investigating the offence. Licensed mobile and telephony service providers must establish systems for monitoring telecommunication traffic and these systems must ensure that voice and data signalling information is uncompressed, unencrypted, and not formatted in a manner which the installed monitoring system is unable to decipher.
Murphy's Law