PTA asked to block porn, sacrilegious content

Religious affairs ministry writes letter to regulator

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has called on the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to intensify efforts to block and restrict access to pornographic, blasphemous and other harmful online content.

In a letter to PTA, the ministry highlighted its concerns over Pakistan's alarming rank among "one of the leading countries in terms of viewing pornographic content". It raised alarms over its "negative impact on public morality and the well-being of our society".

The letter noted that, despite PTA's previous actions to restrict this material following Supreme Court orders from January 2016, May 2016, and March 2018, "pornographic and blasphemous material is still readily accessible on multiple online platforms".

The ministry acknowledged PTA's ongoing efforts to curb such content but expressed disappointment that this material "is still online accessible, violating our cultural and religious values".

Highlighting the potential risks to public, especially youth, the ministry stressed that the widespread availability of such content undermines efforts to protect citizens and questioned the effectiveness of current measures in enforcing the Supreme Court's directives.

"The widespread availability of such content undermines efforts to protect citizens, particularly young people, from exposure to harmful material. It also raises concerns regarding the adherence to the directives of the top court and the authority's ability to effectively enforce content regulations."

Due to the matter's urgency and sensitivity, the ministry urged PTA to expedite actions to block and restrict access to objectionable online content, requesting "an early and prompt action".