“Therein shall be guaranteed fundamental rights, including equality of status, of opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice, and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association, subject to law and public morality.”

As if Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) list of banned words was not enough of a bombshell that it decided to introduce new scheme in the market – National URL Filtering and Blocking System. When the constitution of Pakistan guarantees the freedom of ‘thoughts, expressions and beliefs’ to the citizens, then why, I wonder, was this right dishonored by PTA who wants to develop a massive, centralized, Internet censorship system in Pakistan, aimed to renovate Pakistan’s economy into a knowledge based economy by promoting efficient, sustainable and effectual ICT initiatives through synergic development of industrial and academic resources. In addition to that, they claim that “ISPs and backbone providers have expressed their inability to block millions of undesirable web sites using current manual blocking systems,” the state-run National Information Communications Technology Research and Development Fund said it therefore requires “a national URL filtering and blocking system.”

However, since universal use of internet is a manifestation of freedom of expression and will, the act of blocking thousands of website is a palpable violation of 14 out of 30 Universal Human rights. While this step might benefit the children by preventing their exposure to the mature and often, obscene material on internet, the filter of internet content to adults is a blatant abuse of the constitution.

Furthermore, PTA wants this system to be designed by, “companies, vendors, academia and/or research organizations with proven track record.” This system would operate across entire Pakistan’s internet, handling “up to 50 million [blacklisted] URLs.” Alas, 50 million URLS is a big number and hence, not surprisingly, many apparently ‘inappropriate websites’ have been included in the blacklist. Also, sites focusing on ‘feminism and gay rights’ have been classified as ‘pornography’ and thus, blacklisted. If this is not enough of a reason to give rise to acrimony, let’s here the worse. Some renowned and major blogging and micro-blogging sites such as Twitter and LiveJournal are identified as dating sites. As a result, as soon as these databases are exposed to national firewalls, these websites disappear from general access.

Furthermore, blocking URL will also influence the so-called ‘economy’ that this system targets to boost. This will be an impediment to the international business in and out of Pakistan, with advertisers unable to promote their products globally through different websites. Media will be equally affected as news about Pakistan will not able to reach locally as well as across the border. Disaster relief funds will not be able to make it to the people in need. Although the present censorship policy is obscure, some new websites such as Baloch Hal, which contains news about Baluchistan, are blocked. These kinds of websites play a chief role in carrying messages of under-developed regions and often, areas dealing with crises. Plus, it will be highly unlikely for the citizens to view news sites, owned by authoritative media people, due to over-censorship. Similarly, it will be impossible to avoid such over-censorship, be it in any shape or form.

To add to that, the list of blacklisted URLS will be kept secret, nor will the policy be made clear. This leads us to ignorance and corruption within the system. The centralized nature of the database implies that there will be no checks and balances with regard to the blocked sites. If this is not enough of a reason to defy this system, let’s see what The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights General Assembly has to say, “The article A/HRC/17/27 focuses on freedom to access online content, access to the physical and technical infrastructure online, the increase in the censoring information online, namely through arbitrary blocking or filtering of content and criminalization of legitimate expression as human rights abuses under the right to freedom of expression and opinion.”

No wonder, this is not the first time that such a system has been launched. Mobitel, a telecommunication company, developed a blocking system, which disabled Pakistani to search the name of their own President, Asif Ali Zardari.
When similar action was taken in USA, the citizens, activists and internet users fought back the two proposed bills of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) through petitions and protesting online. The only way to thwart this and prevent PTA from the development of this unconstitutional system is for the citizens to work together to resist this from occurring. Indeed, censorship is a type of silence and an epitome of the violation of freedom. Are we up for another challenge?

Post by: Faryal Hasan
Faryal is currently in the USA as an exchange student on a scholarship. She is a blogger by hobby and a writer by talent.   

Ali Dayan Hasan - Director HRW Pakistan

Source/Credit: Pak Tea House | Raza Rumi

Statement by Ali Dayan Hasan, Human Rights Watch,

To Syed Saleem Shahzad Inquiry Commission

9 August 2011

I. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is a nongovernmental organization that monitors human rights in more than 80 countries around the world. Human Rights Watch researchers conduct fact-finding investigations into violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, [..]

Read full astonishing exclusive leak here . . .

According to the report, Rehman Malik says government reserves the right to ban Google and Youtube if they don’t cooperate in investigations in terrorism. Also, that he has ordered a lawsuit against Google Pakistan’s “administrator” for apparently no reasons.

Apparently, no other channel or news media reported this and chances are that this could just be a sensationalism from ARY. But again, what can’t be expected from our very own Interior Minister Rehman Malik who’s got an ever declining repute and apparently no one takes him seriously. Oh by the way, you know the banana/apple connection, right? RIGHT…!?

We tried contacting Badar Khushnood, Google’s country consultant for Pakistan, to know whether ministry has officially tried to request any support or cooperation from the technology giant Google but we haven’t heard from him as yet. However, the updates on his social media profiles suggest that he also got no clue on what’s going on.

Even if he didn’t, ordering to file a case against him for what? Under what law? Have you gone nutts? oh no nuts, banana I should say? or apple? I don’t know. And you say you reserve the right to ban Youtube or Google, eh? You tech illiterate! Is this the way to ask for coordination from technology giant! You damn are totally threatening them!

I’d like to convey this to the concerned authorities that whoever had this horrible idea of attempting to ban internet(yes I say it internet because Google is a sort of gate of internet!), really stinks! Like seriously.. it’s a bad..BAD idea! Mark my words and take it as caution; messing with the technology sector(which is trying hard to survive on its own) to cover your own incompetencies or impotency I should say, would lead you nowhere. You’ll ultimately face a worst sort of retaliation or even rebellion. This is the start, we at Guppu.com are creating a new category where we’ll be keeping an eye on censorship and will do our best to defend the freedom of speech.

Rehman Malik’s tweet says:

Samad Khurram is not my media adviser and I have ordered an inquiry to trace him and charge him under impersonation. @SamadK

Apparently, Samad Khurram, a youth activist had put this joke in his bio, in order to criticize his incompetency:

“Media Adviser to @SenRehmanMalik. Clearly, I am very competent. #Not”

Pakistani tweeters have slammed Rehman Malik for taking this issue serious while leaving country in the turmoil. The recent incidents/terror attacks should be kept in consideration. In the middle of all this, Interior Ministry’s priority is to get hold of Samad Khurram rather than sorting out any other issues.

We are afraid that we might indeed see Samad Khurram in trouble; this afterall is where our leaders are best at. Silence people!

Protesters chanted slogans against US policies and intervention in internal matters of Pakistan. They also demanded the free and fair trial of Raymond Davis in Pakistani courts, release of Dr. Afia Siddiqui, closure of US embassies and bases in Pakistan.

Speakers including General (retired) Hamid Gul, Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui spoke against the current political system and politicians. Speakers from Youths also chanted Islamic slogans demanding “Islamic” system and condemned the democracy calling it the “system of dis-believers”! However in a leaflet distributed by a youth organization Pakistan Youth Alliance, clearly stated that they won’t let the democracy derail and they also stated to the military establishment not to play “politics” in the name of Raymond Davis.

Click here for full reading

[via The Express Tribune]

The website has published a list of seventeen ‘bravest’ bloggers and quite proudly two are from Pakistan, Sana Saleem and Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi.

When approached Ali exclaimed “Yes, this is very big. Ushahidi and crowdmappers are on the list. The blogger from Iran is amazing. They have been too kind on me”.

Since the beginning of 2011, bloggers around the world have used their respective platform to spread awareness and begin social and political activism. The revolutions in Tunisia were stirred by internet forums, followed by Egypt and consequently in Libya.

The online activities had other nations ban certain web links as the waves of uprising were felt globally. It seems evident now that a lot of the discontent was led by communication through social networks, particularly Facebook and blogs, and this served as yet another catalyst that helped to build momentum.

Blogging has important implications for future popular engagement — its rather amazing that our two young Pakistanis have made it to the list.

[via DateLine Islamabad]

Journalist Abdost Rind, who had been working for an Urdu language newspaper, the Daily Eagle, is reported to have been shot repeatedly by unidentified assailants on February 18 while on his way home from work.

“The killing of Abdos Rind raises further concern over the ability of media workers in Pakistan to exercise the fundamental human right of freedom of expression,” said the Director-General of the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova.

Rind’s death marks the second media worker killed in Balochistan this year, according to the International Federation of Journalists.

According to press freedom advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders, a total of eleven journalists were killed in Pakistan last year, making it the most dangerous place in the world for the profession.

Disclaimer: Guppu Party is not a real political party! The sole purpose of this post is to encourage the creative #PKTP i.e. Pakistan Twitter Parliament activity! which will help bring political awareness and exchange of ideas!

I, Farhan Janjua, a candidate from Guppu Party is going to contest for the post of Prime Minister of #PKTP i.e. Pakistan Twitter Parliament! Eliminating all crap, below are the main points of our manifesto:

• To promote tolerance and harmony among people belonging from any religious/ethnic/cultural background! And to protect the rights of people belonging from all faiths!
• To make the best use of technology by providing as much opportunities as possible. Will be encouraging the local IT/ICT products and services by providing as much facilities as possible! You never know we may make the cities WiFi enabled ! ; )
• To arrange the training of individuals  from all parts of the country! This includes technical skills training which will ultimately result into creation of employment opportunities! By the way training includes educating people about welfare state too!
• To have an absolute foreign policy which is in the best interest of the country!
• To kick off the illegal Afghanistanis who are living here pretending to be the Pakistani citizens and to bring back the stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh!
• To appoint Begum Nawazish Ali as tourism minister which will help boosting up the economy! I have seen Begum has a brilliant knowledge and passion for that!
• Boosting economy by creating more employment opportunities and exploring the natural resources with absolute honesty!
• To use global influence to bring foreign investment here! Especially from the giant ICT companies!

That’s all for now!