[x-pubpol] Pakistanis petition against govt Internet censorship

[Joly MacFie]

http://www.zdnetasia.com/pakistanis-petition-against-govt-internet-censorship-62304552.htm


By Ellyne Phneah<http://www.zdnetasia.com/editor-profile/ellyne-phneah-39050209/>
,
ZDNet Asia

*The High Court of Sindh province in Pakistan capital Karachi has issued
notices to the country's Ministry of Information Technology and the
Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) about a petition challenging
the censorship and blocking of Web sites and online forums with political
views, according to a report.*

In a press release<http://faisalkapadia.com/2012/04/constitutional-petition-for-online-rights/>
Tuesday,
a group of seven individuals including corporate lawyer Ayesha Tammy Haq,
filed a petition accusing the PTA of illegally blocking and censoring
access to various Web sites and online forums which criticized the workings
of the state institutions.

According to *The News International* on
Wednesday<http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-103573-PTA-put-on-notice-over-Internet-censorship>,
the report added that the criticisms were usually over government policies,
large expenditures and budgetary allocation to the armed forces.

The petitioners stated that the censorship was illegal and the Web sites
had been blocked without informing the owners. They also believe that the
PTA is intending to develop a national level URL filtering and blocking
system for the country, which they state, will be used to suppress
constructive criticism and the circulation of information which can benefit
the general public.

The petitioners also urged the court to direct the respondents to make sure
that no Web site, online publication, forum or any other content can be
blocked without prior notice, and that public objections should be invited
before such actions were taken.


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