Anti-Islam video: Govt unlikely to lift YouTube ban
YouTube users in Pakistan will probably have to wait much longer than they anticipated before they can call up the popular video-sharing website again.
The problem stems from the fact that Pakistan and the United States lack a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which is what the company usually uses to filter out objectionable videos.
Google, which owns YouTube, has refused to remove the anti-Islam video that triggered widespread protests across the country. As a result, the authorities banned the website indefinitely. Two months have passed since then.
In the absence of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the United States, all that Pakistan can do is use diplomatic channels to request the US government to make the social website accept Pakistan’s demand, according to an information technology ministry official.
“I am sure the US government will respect our request,” said the official. “YouTube has always asked us to use MLAT for requests to remove the video as they are not bound by our local laws,” he added.
The treaty, according to the official, allows and facilitates two governments to enforce public and criminal laws. But Pakistan and the US have no such treaty between them. The IT ministry has already asked the foreign ministry to initiate the treaty. “It is a long process. It will take at least a year to materialise,” said the official.
The assistance under MLAT provides for “immobilisationof the instruments of criminal activity” which can be used to pressure Google for the removal of any objectionable content that violates local public or criminal laws or damages a partner country’s interests, said an official from the IT ministry’s legal department.
“This is the only possible way out at present. YouTube management is not ready to remove the controversial video despite our repeated requests, and we cannot restore the social website until it does so,” the IT ministry official said.
“To block the website, the IT ministry received approval from the prime minister on the condition that YouTube will remain blocked until it removes the video,” he said. An inter-ministerial committee that includes the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), ministry of religious affairs, the Intelligence Bureau, the Telecom Department, IT ministry and others is the only authorised body to order YouTube’s restoration. “It was blocked on the same committee’s orders,” said the official.
The IT ministry cannot supersede the premier’s orders or the committee’s decision to restore the website on its own. That decision lies with the prime minister. “If he wishes to restore the website as it is, he needs to issue an order to the IT ministry but he cannot risk ignoring the committee’s decision,” the official added.
The government doesn’t want to risk restoring the website with the controversial video still accessible. The alleged blasphemous video triggered violent protests across Pakistan and much of the Muslim world.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.
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I am truly happy about the decision taken by Pakistani gov to ban youtube.Abusing someone is not freedom of speech.Its just an excuse saying that pakistan does not hold MLAt so that the video can not be removed.Had Pakistan signed MLAT,Youtube would have make other excuses.They western world always enjoy what hurt us.They use certain terminology to defend those who hurt our feeling while they themselves dont practice what they claim.
Read one of our articles on the youtube on keroo tehreek! :)
http://www.dramapakistani.net/youtube-on-kerooo/
isnt there any way they just block youtube.com/whatever the link of that video is??
I just don't understand what the government wishes to achieve by such bans!! However, government aside, the people of this state are no less foolish and hypocritical. Do you not understand tht u have banned youtube so that access to the video can be stopped...well the question is WHY WOULD A MUSLIM WANT TO ACCESS THAT VIDEO IN THE FIRST PLACE?? The blasphemous video is still accessible by the non muslim population, the only people who would be affected by tht video, do you know why? Because they already hold a negative image of muslims and this video just strengthens their beliefs and gives them more reason to ridicule our religion! Furthermore, by blocking these sites we just show the world how immature we really are. Does the governemnt honestly believe tht youtube is suffering any loss due to this blockage? Of course it isnt! A more mature, practical and logical solution would have been for us muslims to counter the video. Before youtube was banned I was fully prepared to make a video with my friends showcasing the true image of muslims and post links of tht video throughout the comments sections and elsewhere in youtube where the videos were targeting Muslims. That is what we as Muslims should do! The video was meant to attack the image of muslims and what do we do? We go against the very teachings of our Holy Prophet and burn our own restaurants destroy banks, cars and property! Wow how sensible, that should really have shown the western world how civilised and peaceloving people muslims are..... I,m truly ashamed by how low we have sunk. If this keeps on... Im not sure where we wil be in the next couple of years...
They'll leave this issue for the next govt, this govt is too fragile morally to take a decision on isuues as sensitive as this...
I am really enjoying reading about the youtube ban in Pakistan. I think it was silly to ban youtube because that did not stop people from watching the video. Also, people just use unblockers and proxies to get to the site when they need it. On the other hand, I find it wickedly funny that the Pakistani govt/authorities find novel ways to keep their countrymen in the dark ages and force a repressive and narrowminded viewpoint down their throat. Keep it up, lets keep the site blocked for another year or more.
"Come on and hurry up and lift the useless ban on Youtube because nothing remarkable any thing has gained by this ban....."
well! every body is using one way or the other! long live Hostspot sheild! :)
So the government thinks that "Youtube" is banned! Yeah Right. They are still living in the 80s and 90s. In these hi tech times you cannot ban anything on the internet neither is youtube affected by absence of the Pakistani population. Bol kay lab azad hain tery....
At least I feel a little calmer reading what readers have to say. @Khan Gul makes some very valid points of why YouTube shouldn't have been banned in the first place. This irrational and insane behaviour is doing nothing but plunging us more into the darkness.
idiots. all youre doing is encouraging people to circumvent the ban by using IP blockers etc. even a 10 year old can do it. this will create an even lower regard for Pakistani laws.
Its good to keep it ban, @Khan Gul, their are only limited number of people who watch educational video, 90-95% people watch songs and other useless things to share @facebook. I recommend to ban Facebook as well.
US/Google doesn't respect our religion, So why don't protest. Shame on you with such modern thoughts who forget values of their own religion and culture.
Why they ban videos on Drone Attacks?? why they ban videos of their actions against muslims in jails/war on the name of terrorism.
PTA / Ministy.. keep these sites ban. Thumbs up
Has Pakistan lost all sense? banning youtube! I don't know whether to laugh or cry at our state
Jeeyay Bhuttto.. Another milestone achieved by our so called Democratic Government.
Why should the ban be lifted? The website has blasphemous material!
So killing a Human Being for blaspheming should stay put, but a website must be unbanned because it is inconveniencing many elites in Pakistan? So, a life has lesser value than the comforts and wishes of the Elite in Pakistan? A website deserves more respect than a Human Being, eh?
We are fool. America is not getting any loss due to ban on YouTube. There may be misuse but 99% people make good use of it, and there is no doubt that it is very useful website. We must open this Library. There is always a possible solution to a problem, however, banning it is not the way. Everybody and civil communities should come out to raise pressure on Govt to open it.
We are loser, we are the one who protest to block YouTube now our children, student etc, are suffering. YouTube will not remove the video its against company policy but (write my words) one day our govt will lift the ban. So who is the loser? :)
headache? cut it
... forget YouTube ... move over to the French website DailyMotion ... or make one for yourselves ...
Why should it lift the ban when most of the videos on Youtube are exposing PPP corruption ?
@Khan Gul: completely agree with u Mr. Gul...
Dear "Ministry"
You have no right to dictate what is right and what is wrong. Only the people have that right. If the people think the blasphemy video is wrong, they will not watch it ...... If they think it is right, they WILL watch it !!!!! You just follow what the public is asking you to do ............ Do you even know that the video is also available on dozens of other websites that you have NOT BANNED !!!!
The public is the thousands of students who watch virtual university lectures on youtube.
Public is the thousands of other students who watch training/lectures from open-courseware university programs like MIT, cambridge, Indian institutes of technology, etc.
Public is the thousands of your country talent, who project their talent on the internet using youtube via music videos, etc. etc.
Public is the thousands of people who watch bayan's of maulana tariq jamee. maulana tahirul qadri, other famous ulema. Even extreme jihadi organizations use youtube to upload their jihadi videos and they have not "blocked" youtube from their radar.
Public is the thousands of music lovers, who listen to songs from 4-5 decades ago, because the national archives are dysfunctional.
Public is the thousands of people who used to watch halal videos on the youtube, but are now watching porn on dailymotion !!!!
this is a disgrace. this country is going down the drain. Is there any way people can sign a petition to get this website back up?
Apparently it doesn't matter how many times or who says it -- you just don't get the message. The USA govt cannot restrict freedom of speech. The USA Constitution says " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." These types of issues have been litigated to death and the case history is crystal clear - the USA cannot force Google to do anything. . Google isn't part of the Govt and is free to decide to publish or ban content that Muslims find objectionable - that's their right. If Google wants you to sign some contract or treaty - fine - but regardless the USA govt still doesn't have the authority to censor this type of content - that's between you and Google.
if people are offended by the video, the easiest thing would be to not watch it! people are so immature
and the Game continues...