Online censorship: Ministry, PTA issued notice

Petitioner complains of easy access to all kinds of websites.


Express June 17, 2011

LAHORE:


The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notice to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and ministry of religious affairs in a petition seeking directions to control circulation of inappropriate content on the internet.


Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed Khan issued this order on Friday and sought para-wise comments from the respondents within four weeks.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Fahad Ahmad Siddiqi, said that necessary steps were required for eradication of inappropriate and obscene content online.

Advocate Siddiqi said that Pakistan was an Islamic state whose Constitution stated that all Pakistanis should live their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam.

He said the Constitution stopped the citizens from all kinds of social evils including gambling, use of illegal drugs and publishing and circulation of obscene connect.

He said it was very easy for children to access and surf all kinds of information online including some unsuitable for them.

Parents and teachers had repeatedly urged the government to introduce filtering devices on the internet that denied access to such sites, but there was no response from the respondents, he said.

He asked the court to direct the Ministry of Telecommunications to ban such websites in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.

COMMENTS (15)

NoName! | 12 years ago | Reply And another thing, every person dont know what are proxies and how to deal with it. Atleast 50% have even never heard the name of it! And dont forget that when Facebook was banned, amongst it their were many other proxy sites that were also banned!
NoName! | 12 years ago | Reply Yes! I think it should be banned! Because This is a Islamic state and there should be some law to ban porns. Secondly, it also produces a zeal amongst youth to perform it practically. For that reason, they do a lot other things which are also not allowed in Islam. It should defenately be banned. And even Bollywood should also be banned!
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