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| PPP MNA Shazia Mari presents a resolution seeking removal of ban on YouTube. CREATIVE COMMONS |
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Mari presented the resolution in the session of the National Assembly today.
The government had blocked the video-sharing website YouTube in Pakistan on September 17, 2012, following a controversial film.
During the session, State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar suggested that a committee be formed to decide whether the ban should be removed or not.
Mari protested, demanding immediate action from the government in this matter and said it affected students and businessmen negatively.
PPP MNA had previously stated, “It is really disappointing that the government is ignoring this issue and trying to shift responsibility. YouTube is a source of knowledge for a large population of Pakistanis, particularly students and young professionals.”
Today, Tarar further stated that government wanted to lift the ban on YouTube and said that it was not possible to remove all the content considered ‘objectionable’ from the internet or YouTube.
Government will not be an obstacle in this and will support the initiative to lift the ban, claimed Tarar.
No date has been given as to when the ban would be removed as yet.
Other countries
“Pakistan is the only Islamic country where YouTube services are blocked,” Mari told Media.
Other Islamic countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia who had also imposed a ban on the video-sharing site for the same reason unblocked it after taking necessary measures, she explained asking for an uplift of the ban.
She further added that after launching next generation services such as 3G and 4G there is no reason to block YouTube.
