Circular No. PSD/OS/012554/20 issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), entitled "Blocking of Payments for Subscribing Zee5", and addressed to the Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of all banks, electronic money institutions, payment system operators, and payment system providers, states that, following receipt of a communication from the Cabinet Division of the Government of Pakistan, operators must suspend various modes of payment, including credit card transactions, for subscriptions to Indian content within Pakistan, including the Zee5 video-on-demand service. All concerned entities were required to ensure strict compliance with these instructions and to submit their compliance status to the SBP by 13 November 2020.
It is reported that the circular may affect online payment systems, as subscribers are unable to make payments directly from within Pakistan, although the service provider may still receive payments routed through other jurisdictions such as the United Arab Emirates.

It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is PKR 5,000 (approx. USD 20), below the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

According to Art. 7.6 of the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2021, "Significant Social Media Companies" shall: (i) appoint a grievance officer based in Pakistan; (ii) appoint a compliance officer (iii) establish an office in Pakistan with physical address preferably located in Islamabad. According to Art. 2 of the law, a Significant Social Media Company means and includes a Social Media Company with more than half a million users in Pakistan or is on the list specially notified by the Authority for this purpose from time to time

Pakistan lacks a comprehesive framework for consumer protection that applies to online transactions. Nevertheless, several regional laws apply, including the Islamabad Consumer Protection Act (1995), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Consumer Protection Act (1997), the Balochistan Consumer Protection Act (2003), and the Punjab Consumers Protection Act (2005).

Pakistan has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Pakistan has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Pakistan has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

According to the Strategic Trade Policy Framework (2015-2018), in order to avoid the misuse of 3D printers, they can only be imported with prior permission from the Ministry of Interior.

According to Appendix B of the Import Policy Order 2016, as amended in 2022, only the Pakistan Television Corporation and other licensed authorities by the Federal Government are allowed to import transmission equipment used for reception, broadcast and distribution of satellite signals pertaining to the field of electronic media. Other companies that have an agreement with the government may also import these items to supply cellular and mobile phone facilities. The Order is issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act 1950, last amended in 2024.

It is reported that Pakistan prohibits exports to India and Israel.

Section 5 of the "Type Approval Technical Standards Regulations" provides that applications for the type approval of terminal equipment shall include one sample of the terminal equipment corresponding to the model for which approval is sought, with the submitted sample being complete in all respects, including all necessary accessories, in order to enable the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to conduct a full technical evaluation. In addition, the application should include a declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer, demonstrating compliance of the applied device with the relevant standards, such as radio frequency (RF), safety, specific absorption rate (SAR), and electromagnetic compatibility/electromagnetic interference (EMC/EMI), or any other standards as may be required by the Authority from time to time; and, where requested by the PTA, detailed test reports substantiating the standards referenced in the declaration of conformity, including, as applicable, reports relating to RF, safety, SAR, and EMC/EMI.

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries for copyright infringements. According to Art. 38 of the PECA, there is a civil or criminal liability limitation for service providers for content posted by users unless it is proven that the service provider had “specific actual knowledge and willful intent to proactively and positively participate” in cybercrimes committed the Act. However, it is reported that the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules 2020 passed in November 2020 create new obligations and liabilities for social media companies, which can be in contradiction of limitation of intermediary liability provisions for technology companies in PECA.

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries beyond copyright infringements. According to Art. 38 of the PECA, there is a civil or criminal liability limitation for service providers for content posted by users unless it is proven that the service provider had “specific actual knowledge and willful intent to proactively and positively participate” in cybercrimes committed to the Act. However, it is reported that the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules 2020 passed in November 2020 create new obligations and liabilities for social media companies, which can be in contradiction of limitation of intermediary liability provisions for technology companies in PECA.

It is reported that Pakistan’s approach to SIM registration obliges mobile network operators to collect and validate users’ personal information and proof of identity. In Pakistan, biometric registration is required, and unregistered SIM cards are subject to deactivation.

According to Art. 7.5 of the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2021, which repealed the 2020 Rules, "Significant Social Media Companies" have to deploy mechanisms to ensure immediate blocking of live streaming of any online content related to terrorism and hate speech, among others. According to Art. 2 of the law, a "Significant Social Media Company" includes social media companies with more than half a million users in Pakistan or is on the list specially notified by the Authority for this purpose from time to time