With one voice, lawmakers call for unblocking YouTube

National Assembly adopts resolution moved by Shazia Marri.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly unanimously adopted two resolutions on Tuesday recommending a removal of the ban on YouTube and calling for increased salaries of government employees in the upcoming budget.

The resolution pertaining to the removal of the YouTube ban was moved by PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri.

The video-sharing site was blocked by the PPP government in September 2012 after a controversial uploaded video ‘Innocence of Muslims’ triggered countrywide protests.

Marri stated that the government should take immediate steps to unblock the service. She criticised the government for failing to do so, saying, “YouTube is essential to get advanced knowledge and information, but the government is pushing people towards darkness by putting a ban on this important facility.”



“The distribution of laptops sans technology advancement will not serve any objective of this scheme,” she stated. “It is the duty of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to filter controversial sites and open useful content for growing internet users,” she maintained.

While giving a policy statement in the house, the state minister for health services, Saira Afzal Tarar, said the government is as interested as the opposition to find a solution for unblocking YouTube, but, that the issue is somehow sensitive. “We are working on it,” she said.

She said that the Supreme Court has also asked the government to lift the ban by blocking controversial content, but that it is not technically possible. She said the government wants to resolve this issue by taking all stakeholders onboard and suggested the formation of a joint committee to reach a consensus.

Tarar mentioned that the issue has been lingering since 2012 as all the institutions are passing the buck due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Even though the resolution was interpreted as a glimmer of hope for many, others were more sceptical of the move. “A resolution is not binding on the government,” explained former law minister and renowned jurist Senator S M Zafar.

Resolutions are important but they do not have any legal or constitutional value, he told The Express Tribune. “Our track record is that resolutions are passed and then are thrown into the dustbin.”

A private member, who submits a resolution in his personal capacity, has to give seven days’ notice before the resolution is presented in the house. After being thoroughly scanned and going through procedures, it is finally tabled for approval.

Raising govt salaries

Meanwhile, the lower house also passed a unanimous resolution recommending that the government raise the salaries of its employees commensurate with the rate of inflation.

The resolution was tabled by MNA Tahira Bokhari, who said that inflation has broken the back of the working class and therefore, the government should give a reasonable raise to the its employees. Lawmakers also asked the government to bind the private sector to increase and pay timely salaries to their employees.

Parliamentary secretary for finance and revenue Rana Afzal argued that the salaries of government employees have been increased by 150% during the last six years and the rate of inflation is in single digits at present.

Later, the resolution was unanimously adopted with the support of the treasury and opposition lawmakers.

WHO recommendation

Lawmakers also expressed concern over the decision of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommending Pakistanis undergo polio vaccination before leaving the country.

Through a ‘calling attention notice’, lawmakers criticised the government for not taking timely measures, which led to travel restrictions over Pakistan. The notice was moved by MNAs Shaista Pervez, Amra Khan, Tahira Auranzeb and Asiya Nasir.

Minister for health services Saira Tarrar said the decision is a matter of great concern for the country. However, she said that so far the government has not received any formal travel restriction or deadline from WHO.

She said that an important meeting has been called on Wednesday (today) to tackle the situation that has emerged after the WHO announcement.

Busy day: six bills adopted

The National Assembly adopted as many as six legislative bills for amendments and referred them to the committees concerned for further discussion.

The bills are: The Compulsory Blood Test for the Relatives of Thalassaemia Patients Bill, 2014, The Child Protection System Bill, 2014, The Suppression of Terrorist Activities (Special Court) (Amendment) Bill 2014, The Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Representative of People (Amendment) Act, 2014, and The Telegraph Amendment) Bill  2014.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2014.