A website which acts as watchdog for murder of Shias, motivated by sectarian differences, Shiakilling.com, was apparently blocked on Saturday night.
Visitors were greeted with a "this webpage is not available" sign as they tried to access the site.
Many people from Pakistan on the social media site twitter protested against the forced inability to access the web page. Some blamed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for instituting a politically motivated ban, however this could not be confirmed independently.
The site came back online briefly, before visitors started getting the aforementioned notice again.
The block comes Saturday night, almost a week after the regulatory body had blocked the official website of the Ahmadiyya community, which was 'unblocked' later.
Episodes of violence against Shia Muslims in Pakistan have been on the rise recently, particularly target killing of community members in Karachi and Hazaras in Balochistan.
Some on twitter protesting against the apparent ban wrote under the trend hashtag #DontBanShiaKillingWebsite:
Abdul Nishapuri@AbdulNishapuri
Don't waste your tweets in support ofhttp://ShiaKilling.com . Use this hashtag to build a campaign: #DontBanShiaKillingWebsite Please RT
Darvesh@Darveshh
The most updated portal that provides report on Shia killing in Pakistan,http://Shiakilling.com , has been banned.#DontBanShiaKillingWebsite
Ali Salman Alvi@alisalmanalvi
In a hideous move PTA has banhttp://Shiakilling.com . Instead of stopping Shia Killings they are suppressing the voices against Shia Killings.
COMMENTS (37)
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Thumbs up for Express Tribune Group. :) thnx Alot
The ban is removed now, after the Huge campaign. Else the situation would have much much worsen in not just city of Khi but the country. For a user @Awan : Quaid-E-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Shia(Khoja), The First Cheque given to Quaid after Pakistan's creation was given by Raja Mehmoodabad Also A Shia. Its A Fact..!!!
It is not a surprise for me!
I knew it would happen sooner or later. PTA is governed by PTCL lead by etisilat. KSA vs Iran in Pakistan ;)
Zionist are taking revenge of Khyber and Banu Nzaeer, they had to go underground after their defeat by haider e karar , in 1948 they appeared on the ground and taking revenge using saudi and salafis ideology. Time is close for justice
This is alarming if PTA banned Shiakilling. All people are requested to keep in coordination and i share one other website that is playing its major role in news updates. http://web.smnetwork.com.pk/ https://twitter.com/SMPakistan
@Aasma: Couldn't you come up better idea then this? Why shia should migrate to Iran? We have our own culture, language and norms here in Pakistan. I think when it will be barelvi Muslims turn they should migrate to......?
I also accessed the website outside Pakistan. The front headline is that 2 brothers were BEHEADED in Sargodha for converting to shia sect. How is this acceptable? why is Geo or Dunya news which go ballistic for the smallest of things so silent on this?
All the Shias must migrate to Iran.
I'm outside Pakistan was the site Shiakilling.com and I can open the site. Shia Killing has released a video of the Chilas massacre in April when dozens of passengers were identified as shias and then shot dead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRHGgERhBg4&feature=plcp Although bodies of martyrs can not be seen in the video, yet dozens of terrorists can be seen looting the luggage of passengers. Voices of terrorists can also be heard in the video while they were chanting anti-shia slogans (“Kafir kafir shia kafir”). A terrorist is shown in the video while interrogating a passenger, he was asking the passenger where he lives and he was also demanding the passenger to read Kalima for him, while another terrorist was looking at the marks of blades at the back of the passenger in order to identify him as a shia. This clearly shows that terrorists targeted the passengers after identifying them as shia.
SHAME ON PTA
We are going to run a move soon
Thank you ET
@Awans: Pakistan was made by Shias for everyone. not for just Sunnis. Have some respect, a human being cannot judge who is kafir and who isn't, only Allah can judge that.
I think the government is failing not stopping the killing of innocent HAZARAS, SHIAS AND OTHERS.
the position of "Express Tribune" is very examplary in promoting the minorities voice. other media groups shoul follow suit.
What a sham...instead of providing security to its citizens, the government is banning the right of free speech and information...sham on Pakistani media which does not cover the right information about shia genocide in Parachinar, hazara, Karachi and other parts of Pakistan
Great!!!!
Quaid E Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is also Shia (KHUJA) why shia leave pakistan .. Pakistan is not for a single community. Government Silent on Shia Genocide. Best of luck shiakilling team
@Awans: You may be right but can't leave Pakistan altogether as both Shias and Ahmadis have contributed a lot in its creation and won't see it down. We must hope for a progressive and tolerant Pakistan and that will need sacrifices.
Taliban's have moved from ruling Afghanistan to ruling Pakistan.
Thank you ET for highlighting this, rest of the media is hopeless especially when it comes to shia killing. The website which has been banned is the best source so far for awareness regarding shia genocide in Pakistan.
failed state alert. who is a true muslim? only a salafi wahabi deobandi funded by saudi petro dollars?
you ban them to promote it -- its becoming a trend now. ET only adding fuel to the fire.
My sympathies with our Shia Brothers....Shame on PTA who couldn't block porn websites but did block Shia Muslim website...because this website was truly providing authentic news about killing of innocent Shia mulsims in Pakistan by Saudi backed terrorist orgainzation.....
People of Pakistan should realize ASAP that Saudi is the enemy No 1 of Islam and Pakistan otherwise this time Shias being killed and next time will be Sunni Muslim in the hand of Saudi backed terrorist orgainzation.
Instead of arresting the banned outfits terrorists,they are allowed to roam freely anywhere in the country.Even all there websites promoting hatred are allowed by PTA!! and on the other hand a website which just keeps people updated about the killing of shias in Pakistan(which ofcourse our free media don't dare to cover) is banned!
Shame on PTA!!
That was a great step!
i heartly thank The Express Tribune for posting this news. its the truth and a fact that ehle tashiyo are being brutally martyred because of no reason regularly in pakistan.. a boy living in the area of jafer e tayyar was kidnapped yesterday and was found brutally burnt and martyred. such things happen on daily bases with shia people.. why is this all happening?! whats their fault? instead of stopping shia killings, the website has been blocked just because it was showing the truth.. someone has said absolutely correct " if you face no difficulties in your way, stop and think once.. u might not be on the right path" may God help every muslim and show all the right path.. ameen
i hearty thank express tribune for posting this news. for speaking for the truth.. it is the truth that instead of stopping the Shia Killing happening regularly in pakistan especially in karachi and hazara, the site has been blocked; just because they were showing the truth.. the fact, the real thing.. i pray for shia people and all the muslims for their health.. long life and victory. ilahi ameen..
And we have no comments by the Urban citizenry of Pakistan who have now revealed their support for the heinous act through their silence.
Such actions by the military establishment will be taken as accomplice to shia killing - it will further alienate a large population in the country and will spread radicalization. For a long time shias are under attack by Saudi backed Jihadi organizations active in Pakistan and elsewhere in the region, they are complaining about the biased Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry who has a soft corner for the terrorist organizations, the Government is fell deep down in a bad governance and Pakistan military doubt loyalty of the civilians in general and shias in particular. All the media outlets are kept closed to Shia expressions and now this ban on non-traditional media. The expression will find a new way but banning sites is not a solution if someone there to think.
Shiakilling Is Againts Taliban Why Government Ban This Web
Ahmedis and Shais should pack their bags and should leave Pakistan for good as it seems this country is not made for them. At least Shias are better in a sense that they are a recognized minority while According to Pakistani Government Ahmedi minority is not recognized at all. By the way the extremists websites of Sipah e Sahabah, Lashkar e Jhangvi and Tehreek Khatam e Nabawautts website are also running smoothly and all the mentioned websites proudly tell their supporters that Heaven is waiting for them if some Shia is killed while for a killing of Ahmedi there is a bonus in Heaven with a promise of Pulchritude. Also a small request to Twitteris and So social called social birds that the why the reaction we are watching on twitter for Shias right now is not available in case of Ahmedis?. It is another case of Hypocrisy of Pakistani social liberals.....
Ohh! Not strange and not surprising! God bless Talibistan and anti-humanistan!