Safriz
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- Aug 30, 2010
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The Government of Pakistan had blocked the popular video-sharing
website almost three weeks back. Popular video-sharing website YouTube will not be unblocked
anytime soon, says a report by ProPakistani.com. In an interview with ProPakistani, Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) and Ministry of Information and Technology officials
were determined not to unblock YouTube unless Google decides to
take the anti-Islam video offline internationally or at least in Pakistan
since the decision was covered by a court order. YouTube, owned by IT giant Google, had been blocked in Pakistan after the release of an anti-Islam films trailer on the site. The site had been
blocked in other countries including Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Despite requests by the Pakistani government and concerned
authorities to block the video or pull it down, Google did not comply
and the video-sharing site has been blocked for almost three weeks
now. However, Google had blocked the video in Malaysia, Indonesia, Libya,
Egypt and India. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a PTA official said that that
procedures were initiated to get the video blocked in Pakistan, but
YouTube did not respond as Pakistan has no legal control over the
company. Responding to a question regarding whether MLAT (Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaty) an agreement between two countries for
gathering, exchanging and enforcing public and criminal laws was an
obstacle in the issue because Pakistan had not signed MLAT with USA,
the PTA officials explained that USA does not have MLAT with either
Libya, Indonesia or Singapore too, but Google had blocked the video due to US government pressure or on-ground offices in those states. PTA officials added that countries, where Google has its physical
presence or has infrastructure (datacenters) in place, were in a better
position to get the video blocked. Unlike Google, Facebook had removed the blasphemous content from
its website for users in Pakistan and was hence unblocked after two
weeks in 2010. Google, however, has decided otherwise and this is
why it will remain blocked until it acts, the official said. PTA officials cautioned that if Google wanted to retain its customers in
Pakistan, then it will have to act sensibly and comply with the
governments request. An IT ministry official said that the prime minister would not order the
restoration of YouTube until the anti-Islam video was blocked in
Pakistan as well. The ban has disrupted other Google services as well, causing serious
issues for individuals and businesses in the country. Android, Googles mobile operating system, has been affected so much
so that almost no service, including Gmail, Maps, Contact Sync, Play
Store, was functional, making all Android devices almost useless.
website almost three weeks back. Popular video-sharing website YouTube will not be unblocked
anytime soon, says a report by ProPakistani.com. In an interview with ProPakistani, Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) and Ministry of Information and Technology officials
were determined not to unblock YouTube unless Google decides to
take the anti-Islam video offline internationally or at least in Pakistan
since the decision was covered by a court order. YouTube, owned by IT giant Google, had been blocked in Pakistan after the release of an anti-Islam films trailer on the site. The site had been
blocked in other countries including Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Despite requests by the Pakistani government and concerned
authorities to block the video or pull it down, Google did not comply
and the video-sharing site has been blocked for almost three weeks
now. However, Google had blocked the video in Malaysia, Indonesia, Libya,
Egypt and India. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a PTA official said that that
procedures were initiated to get the video blocked in Pakistan, but
YouTube did not respond as Pakistan has no legal control over the
company. Responding to a question regarding whether MLAT (Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaty) an agreement between two countries for
gathering, exchanging and enforcing public and criminal laws was an
obstacle in the issue because Pakistan had not signed MLAT with USA,
the PTA officials explained that USA does not have MLAT with either
Libya, Indonesia or Singapore too, but Google had blocked the video due to US government pressure or on-ground offices in those states. PTA officials added that countries, where Google has its physical
presence or has infrastructure (datacenters) in place, were in a better
position to get the video blocked. Unlike Google, Facebook had removed the blasphemous content from
its website for users in Pakistan and was hence unblocked after two
weeks in 2010. Google, however, has decided otherwise and this is
why it will remain blocked until it acts, the official said. PTA officials cautioned that if Google wanted to retain its customers in
Pakistan, then it will have to act sensibly and comply with the
governments request. An IT ministry official said that the prime minister would not order the
restoration of YouTube until the anti-Islam video was blocked in
Pakistan as well. The ban has disrupted other Google services as well, causing serious
issues for individuals and businesses in the country. Android, Googles mobile operating system, has been affected so much
so that almost no service, including Gmail, Maps, Contact Sync, Play
Store, was functional, making all Android devices almost useless.
