IMDb is a prominent source of reliable news and box office reports on films, TV programs. PHOTO: FILE
A senior PTA official has confirmed the ban on IMDB - says PTA is only enforcing directive passed by govt committee
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) November 21, 2013
Owned by Amazon.com, IMDb is a prominent source of reliable news and box office reports regarding films, television programmes and video games from all over the world. The portal is ranked number 7 on the “Top 10: Must-know Entertainment Websites” by askmen.com. With 4.7 million fans on its Facebook page and a massive 995,279 followers on Twitter, the website is widely viewed across the globe. Termed as “the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content” on the website, IMDb has a great following here in Pakistan, as well.
After a ban on YouTube that has lasted over a year, the restrictions on the access to IMDb come at a time when Pakistani films are gaining momentum and international recognition. While the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not confirmed an official ban and any reasons for doing so are unknown, users in Pakistan remain unable to access it.
PTA official declined to give specific reason for ban on IMDB - said is placed for 3 reasons: "anti-state", "anti-religion", "anti-social"
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) November 21, 2013
Tough luck, fellow Pakistani entertainment enthusiasts.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (65)
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Pakistanis always find a work around and never stand up to the right cause. Using VPN will solve your problem but then if that is blocked as well? then what? do you know that IP's which are using VPN frequently are banned by PTA? Those IP addresses are blocked and then ISP is questioned over them. So, sooner or later it will stop working as well . . . . then what would you do ?
it is not ban i can access it ....
WAAR movie has excellent reviews with almost 10 rating from the first time registered users on IMDb. Good way to pump up a movie, but why is this banned?
It is working perfectly and idiots are cursing without knowing the fact that it was a technical issue, when we will grow up and stop criticizing? Moreover even if its blocked than even a kid knows that all the blocked site can be accessed by installing a simple software which hides your ip address.
I personally think that the reason imdb was blocked is due to the movie "the line of freedom", which is a true story of a Baloch student abducted by the security and intelligence agencies of our country!! Our people are not aware of the truth, we are in a very messed up situation
PTA has a kid that has a one very strong arm muscles and lots of pimples and he decides what get banned and what goes through. Hint Hint: is it related with Russel Crowe's NOAH?
Very good! Why are you people against it? This is an ISLAMIC nation! Do not endorse KAFFIR lifestyle and ways, follow the Quranic teaching because that is only matters. We as Muslims endorse the ideology. We Die to live! The afterlife the real life! I would like to congratulate PTA for this move.
hmm. . Unfortunately we ban everything except #terrorism #hatred #intolerance #violence #malevolence #bigotry
People who are able to access IMDB, the reason is your ISP is being lazy. People who can't access it: Its a DNS based ban, you can easily get past it by using a different DNS.
Whatever feeble excuse the government has for banning the site, the ban is going to potentially impact our reviving film industry and set a path for future bans on websites every time some delinquent authority figure decides to show his power. Can someone with legal knowledge enlighten us how we can squeeze further information from PTA/Government? The reasons given are vague and require clarity.
I'm sure those thugs in GoP don't really know what does it mean by "anti-state", "anti-religion", "anti-social".
@Dhiz: I guess there is no internet connection for locals
Are they high? There needs to be greater transparency with this internet blocking, it's just happening without anyone noticing. There are hundreds of pages on wikipedia that are blocked, including the pages about Khameni and Khomeni. There are some pages about resolution modules (tech related) that are blocked.
What is going on ? it is just an encyclopedia of films of every country in the world including your own, what is anti social and anti culture about it? Who comes up with this ? i guess the same guy who decided to block youtube and not the bad video. ban the tv turn every cinema hall into a madarsa or mosque burn all the books that teach anything other than islam so you will have a society full of clerics and priests but no doctors, engineers or teachers
any body thinking of banning PTA :P~
No Way.... what made the GoP ban this website?
Search top 250 movies and you can open IMDB link.
And i was thinking that IT manager of my office has banned it..
Visited last night!! Was working perfectly
Its 1902 already!!! Time flies!
Its working.
to ban imdb is such an cowardly act made by the government or concerned authorities. youtube is also ban sincs last year now the best second option after youtube to get accesss of latest movies and so much more is no more avaliable. Why such acts are adopting by this government and why they not give any profound reason before doing such acts. Shame on government or those concerned authorities who gave such advises to givernment officials!
Its working now... I don't think the PTA made any statements about this...
Did the government think IMDB = Indian Movie Database?
This ban hardly affects anyone in pakistan coz today even small kids know how to open youtube and IMDB etc...PTA is just doing time pass
@hammad Thank you
And the next LOGICAL step will be to ban GOOGLE and all other search engines.
Pakistan is run by genius politicians , as always ...
I think Pakistanis were voting for Lollywood films such as Khuda ke liye, Bol and Waar. . PTA didn't like people supporting their own film industry. Maybe Indians and Israelis will give favourable reviews to things made in Pakistan!!!
@Aaron Upright: Not opening up in Lahore. They have got their facts right on this one.
when did PTA ever make sense? blocking youtube was also wrong decision, they should have blocked that blasphemous video but who burns a whole book due to one stupid chapter.. there were variety of educational channels which Pakistani students have no access to now,
A new North Korea in the making.
I hope they don't ban my site. Shame on PTA for doing this! Thanks God for the VPN.
someone at PTA must not agree with IMDbs rating of WAAR.....
PTA proves yet again that it is comprised of a jackass staff. If this order came from some government minister, well, we have a jackass government too. Welcome to the Banana Republic of Pakistan.
I just checked it from Islamabad. It works fine, You really need to improve you rather pedestrian fact checking department.
I tried on my phone, and so far they have not been able to block the IMDb app for android phone, which unlike the youtube app is still working, but I would certainly miss the site.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2013.????
It is 21st by the way.... I am disappointed anyway. This website is very useful and I always check the ratings and read the reviews of movies before downloading / watching them. Very bad by PTA.
@Jibran: People who care
PTA has sunken to a new low.
may be somebody came in revelations of pak govt and they banned..........
First thing first IMDb stands for International Movie Database second its not ban just go to WWW and browse it.
YEAH!!!! thats exactly what the Wi-tribe page reloaded for the IMDB tab in my Mozilla today. URGH is all I got to say! PTA has some special problems which it is unable to diagnose ITSELF! Sites that need to be blocked have a free end in our country and the ones that dont need to be "NEEDLESS" to say are BANNED! How PATHETIC is that?? ( uh - is there a CAPS to the question mark ! )
Ughhh!!! What were they thinking? It was the only reliable website I relied upon before deciding whether to watch a movie or tv series or not. I have seriously no clue what the PTA wishes to achieve with this ban? Except for more hatred for themselves.
We need reason for banning imdb or else tell me this isn't a free country! The one who banned it, he must know! WE HATE YOU FROM HEART!!!! You should be ashamed of yourself! Bann Taliban's videos, first, Bann all the porn sites.!
After Youtube, this is a new low for PTA. It's like saying, "That bulb is flickering, cut the power supply of the house".
ban internet and use camels and donkeys
YEAH!!! thats what my witribe page said today for the imdb tab in mozilla. URGH is all what I got for you! PTA has some special problems which it is unable to diagnose ITSELF! Sites that need to be blocked have a free end whereas the ones that dont need to be are needless to say BANNED! How PATHETIC is that?? (uh - do we have a CAPS for question mark here?)
Soon our government will implement internet restrictions just like the one's in North Korea!
Who cares!
what the heck is going on here? Hey NS, please ask your IT minister to control the extremist section in PTA or otherwise ban internet in Pakistan. Also open the YouTube, i want to see the recipe for Sisi-Paye.
This is insane. What is this obsession GoP has with banning ? They cannot build anything or solve any problems but they are very good at bans.