Aqeel Zafar’s Randomness

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has finally lifted the lifted the ban, which it imposed few days ago, after YouTube removed the offensive video from the site.

I am a fan of YouTube (and other Google products) and am glad that it has respected the feelings of Muslims all around the world.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has recently ordered all ISPs to block access to popular video sharing site YouTube, due to some “objectionable content”. Here is an email sent to customers of micronet (taken from naitazi):

Dear Valued Customer:

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk) has directed all ISPs of the country to block access to www.youtube.com web site for containing blasphemous web content/movies.

The site would remain blocked till further orders from PTA. Meanwhile, Internet users can write to youtube.com to remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this website.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience.

Best Regards

Manager
Technical Assistance Center
Micronet Broadband Pvt. Ltd.
Islamabad

There is lot of speculation on what this “objectionable content” might be, many people are thinking it is due to recent videos uploaded on youtube that showed election rigging, though according to some people it’s due to a controversial Dutch movie against Islam.

In any case, this kind of blockage never works, one, it can be easily bypassed and two, it makes people wonder the reason behind the ban and then those who wouldn’t look for it under normal circumstance, tries to check it too.

Update: According to news, the ban is due to a controversial anti-islam movie uploaded by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. You can read about it more on TheNews, DailyTimes & The Post.