Pakistan’s top body of clerics has declared the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, against Islamic laws, officials said on Monday, as the ministry of the interior sought a ban on the service that helps people evade censorship in countries with tight Internet controls.

Raghib Naeemi, the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, which advises the government on religious issues, said that Shariah allows the government to prevent actions that lead to the “spread of evil”.

He added that any platform used for posting content that is controversial, blasphemous, or against national integrity “should be stopped immediately”.

Million of Pakistanis have been unable to access the X social media platform since February 2023, when the government blocked it ahead of parliamentary elections, except via VPN — a service that hides online activity from anyone else on the Internet.

Authorities say they are seeking to ban the use of VPNs to curb militancy. However, critics say the proposed ban is part of curbs on freedom of expression.

VPNs are legal in most countries, however they are outlawed or restricted in places where authorities control Internet access or carry out online surveillance and censorship.

Among users of VPNs in Pakistan are supporters of the country’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who have called for a march on Islamabad on Sunday to pressure the government for his release.