The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has fully supported the recent initiative by the government to provide a cost-effective, automated and transparent system for blocking blasphemous and objectionable contents.
The concern of the society with regard to discomfort was suffering by a majority of the people by publications and promotion of material, including blasphemous and un-Islamic, offensive, objectionable, unethical and immoral.
Official sources in the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) told APP that Information Communication Technology (ICT), Research and Development (R&D) Fund of MoIT, has floated an expression of interest in line with the demands of the people who wanted a ban on blasphemous and objectionable contents that were being used to harass, deface and blackmail the innocent citizens of Pakistan.
Now all such issues will be addressed by the government through policy directives/legislation and PTA will implement such policies as a telecom regulator within its legislative frame work.
Sources said there is no denying of the advantages of the internet but the same should not be at the cost of religious norms. “The government has always believed in the freedom of expression, however, it should not prejudice the right of self-respect and dignity of the other person.” Talking to APP, official sources said, “Our mandate is to regulate the establishment, maintenance and operation of telecommunication systems and services in Pakistan.” It did not regulate the contents transmitted directly or indirectly, nor does it control the sources of the said contents outside Pakistan. However, as and when directed by the courts, or by the MoIT, it blocks websites through its licensees, sources said. For the purpose of controlling and blocking of websites whose contents are blasphemous and against the religious and cultural values of our people, an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been constituted in 2006.
