Democracy Rules! Pakistan Blocks/Bans YouTube
There’s an old (from our youth :p) Bollywood song that goes “Main ro’oon ya hansoon; karoon mai kyaa karoon?!” or “Should I cry or laugh; To do, what do I do?”
Users subscribing to the Internet though the PTCL (Pakistan Telecom Corporation Limited, the semi- or formerly-government-owned corporation), in particular, have been getting the following message today if they tried to access YouTube:
————–
Dear Internet Users
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk)has directed all ISPs of the country to block access
to www.youtube.com web site for containing blasphemous web content/movies.
The site would remain blocked till further orders from PTA. Meanwhile, Internet users can write to youtube.com to remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this web site.
Best Regards
Manager
Technical Assistance Center
Micronet Broadband Pvt. Ltd.
Islamabad
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For background, see:
http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2008/02/22/youtube-blocked-in-pakistan/
http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2008/02/22/vote-rigging-videos-in-karachi-could-this-be-why-youtube-is-blocked/
http://www.kidvai.com/windmills/2008/02/last-laugh.html
Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, Pak Tea House, Urdu ke Naam, blogs.
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Comments
This is so crazy, I use
This is so crazy, I use Youtube almost exclusively to watch religious ziker, and azans from all over the world, if not for Youtube I would miss many of these wonderful things. For the sins of a few, the many are punished. Youtube is not evil its the viewer who selects evil things to watch.
Well, since Pakistan has no
Well, since Pakistan has no big problems right now, or and large governmental issues, I can see why they’d put priority on banning youtube. Oh yeah, and making people sign papers saying the Ahmaddiya are kaffirs to get passports. Pakistan is great at prioritizing.
Lol, yeah Pakistan has a
Lol, yeah Pakistan has a surplus of time and finance to spend monitoring what people do on the internet.
Maybe there is a another
Maybe there is a another government paying for this, a shadow government, hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
If anyone is counting on
If anyone is counting on the government of Pakistan to save their soul, they’re toast.
Jinnah is spinning in his
Jinnah is spinning in his grave right now. "Man, I work my ass off and risk my life for these fuckers and now they give the whole game to a bunch of religious fanatics and barbarians? They can kiss my pork-eating, whiskey sipping, beard shaving, religious pluralist ass."