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There is no end to the stupidity of certain segments of Pakistani society. Without informed judgement and any concerns for progress and individual freedoms, the Lahore High Court continues on its Internet banning rampage. My fury leaves me speechless.
Here are details from todays The News:
“Government Blocks 17 Website Links
ISLAMABAD: The government on Frid
ay blocked 17 links of different websites including YouTube having blasphemous and anti-Islamic contents while seven websites will be strictly monitored.
The seven websites put under strict monitoring mechanism nose are: Yahoo, Google, Amazon, bing, MSN, Hotmail and YouTube. If the websites found placing any blasphemous material, strict actions will be taken by blocking those links as well, said a government official after attending a high-level meeting in which decision was taken to block 17 links of different websites. “The Information Technology Ministry has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block 17 links of certain websites on which blasphemous contents exist.
“We are currently in the process to implement the orders of the government for blocking the 17 links,” a senior PTA official said, while talking to ‘The News’ here on Friday.He said the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) had been instructed by the PTA to block identified 17 links and monitor seven websites strictly. The decision to block 17 links came during the inter-ministerial committee meeting held here on Friday to evaluate the websites having anti-Islamic contents.
AFP adds: The Lahore High Court earlier this week ordered the government to block access to nine websites including Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Amazon, MSN, Hotmail and Bing for showing material against the fundamental principles of Islam and its preaching.”
I saw the hordes of lawyers line up to demand the freedom of the judiciary – I find it hard to believe that not even one of them has the courage or the conviction to stand up and demand the freedom of the media? I understand there is intimidation but if we continue to be silent and let all our freedoms be taken away one by one – we will no longer have the freedom to even speak up. This is no longer a matter that we can continue to overlook. The apathy and inaction of the educated middle classes will be the cause of their downfall and the destruction of Pakistan.
It seems there is a whole slew of citizens waiting in line with petitions to get certain websites banned and obviously our lawyer brethren are ever ready to strike in support of their demands but what makes me really sad is that there is not even one lawyer, or one citizen who will stand up to legally challenge this ridiculous ban? Why is it that the forces of obscurantism speak so loudly and boldly but the forces of reason remain unreasonably quiet?
Sehar Says.... 
Our lawyers are too busy beating up the police to demonstrate that “freedom” in our country has recently come to be synonymous with expolitation of power. The judiciary is now “free” to confine the law as it suits them. As far as the decision goes, its just another step toward crippling the country’s minimal educated members because informed people will know the difference between right and wrong and therefore be critical of all the illegalities going on behind the facade of the so called free judicial system in the country. The law makers have been so busy giving out orders that they conveniently forogt to have them implemented
I came here from Pakistaniat to discover this blog. BTW, everyone challenges this non sense but who listens in this din.
I don’t whats the connection between the free speech with that of blasphemous material. For any one who call themselves educated may be this doesn’t matter but I think one should not at least compare those material with free speak. Its just like speaking in Europe or US against Holocaust and then comparing it with free speech. I think as far as the court decisions came its correct in the sense to watch the sites and block the blasphemous sites.