Something odd is going on in Pakistan. A couple of days ago we started receiving messages from people asking us to boycott facebook because a community has been founded to instigate people to draw caricatures of the Prophet of Islam. While I do not endorse any act insensitive to any faith, less so my own, I did not respond to the call because such boycotts actually make a martyr out of those who take pleasure in spreading hatred and are akin to shutting your eyes to reality. Yet last night Pakistan’s Telecommunication Authority decided to ban the above mentioned community. In my facebook status I expressed fear that such a ban would result in the blockade of facebook in Pakistan. The zealots however were not satisfied even then.
Today, Lahore High Court was approached by such a group and requested to ban the social networking site in Pakistan. And astoundingly the court decided to ban the site until 31st May. What is more the court ordered to punish anyone found guilty of using facebook in Pakistan. This is simply amazing.
But the story does not end here. A few days back the very court decided to quash Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s bail and renewed an inferior court’s punishment against him. I am not concerned about that decision. However when the decision was made, many present in the court chanted slogans: Khawaja Sharif Zindabad (Long live LHC Chief Justice K Sharif) and Taliban Zindabad. The court however has not taken any further step on the incident.
On a separate note Hamid Mir, the well known talk show host, and the man this website continuously defended against Pervez Musharraf’s ban has sent a libel notice to Daily Times, asking for damages worth 250 million. The crime of newspaper, to publish the transcript of an audio clip, in which Mir is allegedly instigating a representative of the Taliban against the then abducted and later assassinated Intelligence Operative and Taliban Apologist Khalid Khawaja.
The reason why I am alarmed about the said notice is that somehow it is claimed that the apex courts of the country have developed a soft sport for Mr Mir and his allies in his media group. For instance while the government authorities are hounding all channels for sales tax much lesser than that of Hamid Mir’s group, his group has conveniently taken a stay order from a court. Hence Mr Mir’s notice seems a serious threat. I can only urge the apex courts of the country to shun any such impression and show their objectivity. Currently it seems that the Taliban are all set to stage a coup through the courts we too fought hard to defend. And facebook’s ban is regrettable because it will further ostracize our nation in front of the world community. And I fail to understand where is the democratic government when it comes to defending our rights. Maybe it is too busy pardoning its own friends to come to our defense.
The author is a Pakistani television journalist, columnist and commentator on security, political and media affairs. He can be reached through his website
www.pitafi.com
After clear discrimination of Facebook for not banning blasphemous Fan Page, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom has directed PTA to ban Facebook Page in Pakistan, told us sources close to authority.
A reliable source, who is in direct contact with Secretary MoIT, told ProPakistani that ministry has issued the directive to PTA to ban said blasphemous content in the country.
Ministry of Information Technology directs PTA for banning any URL or whole of website in case of any inappropriate content available on it.
It is yet to be ascertained if the whole Facebook will be banned or just a single URL will be filtered. In both the situations, Step is inline with thousands of Facebook users and according to their urge of boycotting Facebook on May 20th.
It merits mentioning here that a Fan Page on Facebook is encouraging its members to draw Prophet Mohammad’s drawings (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa-aal-hi-Wasallam).
Despite thousands of requests, Facebook didn’t put this page down even it violated Facebook’s own terms of services.
Update: (3:14 PM – May 18, 2010) We have received confirmation from PTA that directive has been issued to all ISPs for blocking a single URL (of the particular Fan Page). Order was issued by Yawar Yasin, Director Enforcement PTA.
PTCL has confirmed the recipient of the order and said that specific URL is in process of being blocked throughout its network.
Update: (8:24 PM – May 18, 2010) Facebook fan page in question is still opening on various ISPs, however, reports are coming that specific URL is inaccessible on selected ISPs. Complete blackout is expected later tonight.
