IT Ministry Forbids PTA From Blocking Any Sites Without Consulting After the Wikipedia Drama

A Cabinet Committee on Wikipedia was formed when Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked the website in the country and the committee ordered PTA to unban the site within a couple of days after being blocked. Now that same committee with the blessing of the Ministry of Information Technology has recommended PTA to do consulting with the Ministry before closing any website in the future.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque has emphasized that the IT ministry is against the blocking of any website as it impedes the development process and cuts off links to the digital world.

“The Ministry of IT must be consulted prior to closing any website in the future. Blocking of any website means disconnection to the digital world, which will lead to both social and economic disadvantages,”

وکی پیڈیا بندش/ وزارتی کمیٹی کا اجلاس

وکی پیڈیا کی بندش پر وفاقی وزیر آئی ٹی سید امین الحق کی زیر صدارت وزارتی کمیٹی کا اجلاس. اجلاس میں وزیر قانون و انصاف سینیٹر اعظم نذیر تارڑ اور وفاقی وزیر تجارت سید نوید قمر شریک.#MOITT #Wikipedia pic.twitter.com/NkVX9RZBMY

— Ministry of IT & Telecom (@MoitOfficial) February 9, 2023

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar attended the meeting. Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar said:

“We endorse the unblocking of Wikipedia on the directives of the prime minister”.

Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Additional Secretary (In-charge) Mohsin Mushtaq, member legal, member telecom, and PTA authorities were also present in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Haque said that the Ministry of IT and Telecom must be consulted prior to closing any website in the future. Blocking any website means disconnection from the digital world which will lead to both social and economic disadvantages, he added.

“The ministerial committee is against those steps which impede the development process. Adding that blocking a website meant disconnecting from the digital world, which eventually led to social and economic disadvantages.”

“However, the committee wants to promote an environment by imparting awareness among the people that they do not visit such websites containing objectionable content,” he said.

Syed said that the Ministry of IT and Telecom is against those steps which impede the development process. He emphasized the need of creating awareness among the masses for not visiting those websites containing objectionable content.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) authorities can consult the Ministry of Law and Justice on directions getting from any side. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the restoration of access to Wikipedia with immediate effect.

Further, the prime minister constituted the Cabinet Committee comprising Minister for IT and Telecom (Chair), Minister for Law and Justice, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Minister for Commerce, and Minister for Communications.

The committee may co-opt any expert members or seek an opinion from expert individuals/organizations to reach its findings.

Terms of Reference of the Committee are as under:

A)To review the suitability of PTA action of blocking Wikipedia to restrict access to certain sacrilegious and objectionable content.

B)To explore and recommend alternative technical measures for removal or blocking access to objectionable content posted on Wikipedia and other online information sites, in view of our social culture, and religious sensitivities, on the touchstone of proportionality; and,

C)To give any other recommendations with the objective of controlling unlawful online content in a balanced manner.

The reversal of the Wikipedia ban is a sign of a positive future for the internet and social media in the country as the track record is pretty disappointing. Pakistan has banned a number of apps and sites over the last decade, most of them in the name of “Muslim Sentiment”, though protecting the sovereignty of the national religion is important, blindly banning everything that contradicts any of your ideas is not the best practice for solving an issue in a digitally connected world.