Punjab

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! | 13 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! | 13 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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anonymous | 13 years ago | Reply THREE THINGS: First, internet regulation is carried out in different countries, and is no rocket science, as people aware with technology and back-end protocols know how it can be done. Second, Internet is not an uncontrollable monster or infrastructure, but is the most precise and accurately accessible framework ever developed in human history - making easily controllable as well as monitored. Third, for all those who support a secular Pakistan - GO FIGURE!!!

Farhat Abbas | 13 years ago | Reply A step in the right direction. We have the responsibility to protect our innocent youth from all sorts of evil on the net. Pakistan, was, is and shall always be an Islamic state. Pakistan, gives total freedom to its hindu, Sikh and Christian etc. citizens. There is no compulsion on them from the muslims. All, those who are irritated, about restrictions on Porn, are free to leave Pakistan and settle elsewhere. The Quaid clearly wanted a Islamic state in Pakistan. It was hijacked by Western promoted Secularist lobby. Lets clean up Pakistan, of all evils that hurt the spiritual and moral development of our society.

Ramzt | 13 years ago | Reply @Kayani: You ask what's bad in blocking porn? And I ask what's bad in watching porn? Especially in such a sexually frustrated society as ours. Yes children shouldn't watch porn, and it's the responsibility of their parents not the government.

Kayani | 13 years ago | Reply @waqar: PTA can definitely control the Internet in Pakistan through ISPs and the P**rn should definitely be blocked...So that parents have not to spy to know that what their child is doing on Net.Also whats bad in Blocking porn?????????????

kalia | 13 years ago | Reply well i think banned obsence content is good, it is done in Dubia and other states like saudia arab. we are muslims and should cherish our moral and social values, Easy access to there website makes them more vunerable and addicitive to children and adults themselves. should put filters on the net, maybe access available throught other means but for masses it will be banned.

Umar S | 13 years ago | Reply They will shut down JAYS TOONSSsss

abdul jabbar | 13 years ago | Reply this is not an islamic state.When will our people get out of this delusion of theirs? jinnah the creator of our country had kept it's name as the 'republic of pakistan',it was only later that the islamic fascists forced a weak govt. to make it 'the islamic republic of pakistan'. this is a country for all people ,whether they are christians,hindus,athiests,agonstics,ex-muslims,parsis or muslims.no one religion can be or should be allowed to dictate terms to the government.

Arsal | 13 years ago | Reply I second Waqar....coz if u ban some websites they will still be available via proxy servers or alternate addresses......further millions of new websites emerge daily making it impossible to stop all obscene or improper materail....the best way to counter such a threat is to deal with it headon and educate children about immoral issues instead of burying the head in sands like no such thing exists in the world

Sheikh Abdul Basit | 13 years ago | Reply Instead of adding such sort of bans, we can educate parents to use family filter sort of things. Restricting these things in mass level can possibly create a loss as there are several things interrelated to each other.

QuranVsHadith | 13 years ago | Reply If these people were not hypocrites and actually knew what Islam was....this might mean something.

iffo | 13 years ago | Reply Thats a gud step

naeema saeed | 13 years ago | Reply if u don't wish to see something then don't see it. y do u wanna give authority to government to poke their nose in everything.

waqar | 13 years ago | Reply When will people learn...... you can't control the net. And its upto parents to teach their children the proper use of the internet.

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