The country has officially banned BlackBerry’s enterprise server and its online and messaging services “for security reasons”. Local mobile phone operators were told that the BlackBerry services must be shut down by the start of the winter.

BlackBerry is known for using strong encryption, which is the main part of its appeal to businesses and users. In other words, the service provides privacy that prevents law enforcement and intelligence agencies from intercepting communication and snooping on user activity.

The company operates servers processing all online traffic destined for its smartphones and tablets. They handle email, messaging, browsing and other communications services, encrypt data and ensure greater privacy. Apparently, Pakistan’s military intelligence agency is seeking to expand its ability to intercept communications inside the country.

Privacy advocates claim that such agencies have abused their powers by spying on opposition politicians and supreme court judges. Journalists, lawyers and activists also suffered from web monitoring and censorship.

This is not the first time BlackBerry faces such problems: in the past, India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia took similar steps. Five years ago, BlackBerry services were banned within the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Some states then lifted bans, but still tightened the restrictions. Even the UK considered banning BlackBerry’s messaging services during the 2011 riots.

In respond, BlackBerry announced that it provided the world’s most secure communications platform to everyone, and protecting that security was of primary importance to the company’s mission. While BlackBerry does recognize the need to cooperate with law enforcement authorities on criminal activity, the company promised to never permit wholesale access to its servers.