Pakistan Blocks Wikipedia, Terms Its Content As “Blasphemous”: Report

After the refusal to remove the offensive or blasphemous content, Pakistan has blocked Wikipedia, said a media report on Saturday.

Pak blocks Wikipedia

According to a media report, the blacklisting of Wikipedia comes days after the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) degraded Wikipedia services for 48 hours, threatening to block it if the content deemed ‘blasphemous’ was not deleted.

Taking Twitter, PTA wrote, “Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law & court order(s). An opportunity of hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the Authority.”

PTA Spokesperson confirms the ban

While responding to the media’s question about the blocking of Wikipedia, a PTA spokesperson has confined that “yes” it had been blocked.

Moreover, the PTA spokesperson stated that Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said content by issuing a notice.

An opportunity for a hearing was also provided; however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the authority.

Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of PTA, the services of Wikipedia were degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported contents, the official added.

Further, he said that the restoration of Wikipedia’s services will be reconsidered if the reported unlawful content is blocked or removed.

This is not the first time when the Pakistani government has cracked down on social media platforms and websites, an act slammed by freedom of speech advocates in the country. Social media giants Facebook and YouTube have been blocked in the past over content deemed blasphemous.

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Wikipedia Foundation urges Pak to restore the website

Ahead of the allegations and ban on the website, the Wikipedia foundation had urged Pakistan’s government to restore the website.

In a tweet, Wikipedia Foundation wrote, “A block of @Wikipedia in Pakistan denies the 5th most populous nation in the world access to the largest free knowledge repository. If it continues, it will also deprive everyone access to Pakistan’s history and culture.”

We believe that access to knowledge is a human right. A block of @Wikipedia in Pakistan denies the 5th most populous nation in the world access to the largest free knowledge repository. If it continues, it will also deprive everyone access to Pakistan’s history and culture. (3/4)

— Wikimedia Foundation (@Wikimedia) February 4, 2023