Government orders blockade of blasphemous, indecent content online

Policy directive issued through Ministry of IT, PTA to handle filtration.


Web Desk September 03, 2012

The Government of Pakistan, through the Ministry of Information Technology, has issued a policy directive to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for the implementation of a URL filtration system to block blasphemous and indecent websites and content, the Daily Jang has reported.

ProPakistani reports that from the content of the directive, it appears that PTA will be handling the filtration of the websites. It has been given the authority to take measures and independently block websites consisting of blasphemous and pornographic content.

It has also been reported that the directive was issued on the direct orders of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf with input from President Asif Ali Zardari.

The government unveiled its plan to implement a filtration system in February this year when the ICT R&D Fund had asked vendors for proposals. After much criticism from activists and local and foreign media, it had been reported that the plan to set up the system had been shelved.

A version of this post originally appeared on ProPakistani.

COMMENTS (9)

J Ndluli | 11 years ago | Reply

So, now the government censors will decide what we, as adults, can or can't do on the world-wide-web! Are we like children, that we need to be monitored...? And who are these government decision makers to decide for us. Who monitors their behavior?

Parvez | 11 years ago | Reply

" Where there's a will there's a way " and if anyone should know this, its our President.

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