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 Art. 27 of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance, advertisement is prohibited when it is considered to distort historical facts, traditions of Pakistan or the person or personality of a national leader or a state dignitary; to glorify non-Islamic values; to be directed against the sanctity of home, family, and marriage; to contain indecent, vulgar, or offensive themes or treatment; or contains material that is repugnant to the ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values. Moreover, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has prohibited the broadcast of advertisements produced in India or featuring Indian actors and characters. It is reported that the ban on the airing of Indian ads remains in place till the time the advertisement is replaced by those produced in Pakistan and featuring Pakistani actors and talent.

Under Section 25 of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002, a licence is required for broadcast media and distribution services. These licences cannot be granted to:
- A person who is not a citizen of Pakistan or a resident of Pakistan;
- A foreign company organised under the laws of any foreign government;
- A company the majority of whose shares are owned or controlled by foreign nationals or companies whose management or control is vested in foreign nationals or companies; or
- Any person funded or sponsored by a foreign government or organisation.

According to Art. 5.2.a of the Import Policy Order 2016, as amended in 2020 and last amended in 2022, all products which are of Indian or Israeli origin or imported from India or Israel are banned entry into Pakistan, except therapeutic products regulated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. Before the 2020 amendment, only the ban was limited to imports from Israel and of Israeli origin. The Order is issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act 1950, last amended in 2024.

According to Appendix A of the Import Policy Order 2016, last amended in 2022, Pakistan has banned the import of Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) 6.0 phone discs and tapes from all countries. The Order is issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act 1950, last amended in 2024.

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.

Under Section 29 of the Telecom Act 1996, approval by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is required for any telecommunication terminal equipment that can be directly or indirectly connected with PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and radio equipment. No person may install any telecommunication equipment as part of or connect terminal equipment (other than by a plug‑into‑socket connection) to any public switched network except in accordance with regulations made by the Authority. Tablet PCs with Wi-Fi-only functionality have been exempted from approval of the PTA as of the August 2015 Authority Decision.
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority accepts foreign standard test reports as the basis for approval of most telecommunications equipment connected directly or indirectly to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and radio equipment. The applicant for the approval may be a foreign manufacturer. It is reported that such type approval for a local manufacturer is twice as cheap (5000 PKR, approx. 48 USD) than for a foreign one (100 USD).

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

In the exercise of the powers conferred by Art. 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act of 2016 (PECA), the government published the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules 2020. According to Art. 4 of the Rules, the online dissemination of any information that intimidates or harms the reputation of the Federal or Provincial Government or any person holding public office is regarded as a threat to the 'integrity, security, and defence of Pakistan" and is subject to removal or blocking. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) disclosed in January 2023 that it had blocked over 1.1 million links and websites for various legal reasons, with over 900,000 of them blocked due to concerns regarding "decency and morality." Since the PTA does not publish a publicly available list of blocked websites, information about blocking is often based on anecdotal evidence and is accessible only on a case-by-case basis.
In May 2023, the PTA implemented a nearly week-long block on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Additionally, access to YouTube experienced intermittent disruptions in August and September 2022. Additionally, dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, Tagged, Skout, and SayHi have been blocked since 2020.

The indicator "6.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 3 in Pakistan for the year 2023. This corresponds to "Rarely but there have been a few occasions throughout the year when the government shut down domestic access to Internet."
It is reported that seven internet shutdowns occurred in Pakistan in 2023. Following the arrest of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, violent protests erupted in several cities, prompting the government to order the shutdown of mobile internet services and the blocking of several social media platforms.

Pursuant to Art. 5 of the Class of 2007 Value Added Services Licensing and Registration Regulations, application for the grant of a Registered Services license for the provision of value-added services shall be made in the manner set forth in Schedule "A" of the Regulations. According to Art. 2, value-added services are all telecommunication services, excluding the core telecommunications services of access providers, as determined by the Authority from time to time.
Pursuant to Art. 6, the authority may grant a license or Registration Certificate to any applicant who fulfils the open, transparent, and non-discriminatory eligibility criteria given by the Authority from time to time. The Authority for providing a license shall take into account the following factors:
- the financial and economic viability of the applicant;
- the applicant's experience in telecommunications and relevant past history;
- technical competence and experience of applicant's management and key members of staff and local participation in the business; and
- the nature of the services proposed and the viability of the applicant's business plan, including its contribution to the development of the telecommunications sector.
However, the Authority may reject an application if it appears that the grant of the License or Registration Certificate shall threaten or potentially threaten national security.

Pakistan has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.