Summary According to a report, IT Ministry claims to have acquired filters for blocking blasphemous content
ISLAMABAD (Online) - The ministry of Information Technology has major development over video sharing website ‘YouTube’, media quoting sources reported on Monday.
Pakistan I.T ministry hopeful to revive the banned ‘YouTube’ after it claims to have acquired the ‘missing filters’, according to a newspaper report These would be essential in blocking blasphemous content available on the video sharing website.
Even though, a green signal has been given by IT ministry but no time frame is given by the government for the actual unblocking of ‘YouTube’.
Anusha Rehman during a briefing on August 22 had stated that Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has ensured to help in blockage of 4000 websites containing blasphemous content by providing the filters.
While performing a test run, these filters were reported to have successful results and within one week of the meeting with Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), YouTube maybe available for access of information for all. Though the test run is still ongoing, IMC has not been called yet.
The spokesperson of ministry said, “The IMC meeting has not been convened yet, the test run [of the filters] is going on and the IMC meeting would be convened once there are desirable results”.
The I.T ministry blocked YouTube in Pakistan on September 2012, on the orders of IMC when a blasphemous movie was released.
In a briefing, State Minister Anusha Rehman said that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been unable to implement the directive of the ministry. She further said PTA doesn’t come under administrative control of ministry of IT, rather than the Cabinet Division.
