Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed states even countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE have not banned YouTube. DESIGN: ANUSHAY FURQAN
The committee noted that Pakistan was the only Muslim country where this facility has been denied to the public.
The functional committee, headed by Senator Afrasiab Khattak of Awami National Party (ANP), accepted a resolution which was tabled by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who stated that the ban on the video-sharing website is unjustified as there is no such ban in any other Muslim country, including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
The government had blocked YouTube in Pakistan on September 17, 2012, following a controversial film that many in Pakistan found offensive.
The committee chairperson noted that even the head of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) believed that the ban was not useful and that it was still possible for users to access the material that had led to the ban of the website.
The resolution will also be presented during a session of the Senate in the evening today.
The committee decided to hold a special hearing the YouTube ban on May 5, 2014.
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