PTA blocks website : Make Pakistan Better

Posted by Ayesha 12 February, 2010

In an email sent just now by the webmaster of Make Pakistan Better, I was shocked to read that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Director General (Enforcement) Yawer Yasin has instructed all its Zonal Directors on 18th January 2010 to block the websitehttp://makepakistanbetter.com on an IP level.

Since its blocked from Pakistan one can still view the website from Google cache and it shows some interesting anti-government articles which may have been the thorn that lead to the blockage. I believe this is a serious invasion of freedom of speech and sadly the PTA has not defined or responded to the reason why this website has been deemed objectionable for users in Pakistan

Upon contacting the website owner he explained

“This website’s main goal is to bring news to common public which our biased media has deliberately tried to blackout. We have many authors on our website who openly criticize the Pakistan Army, the PPP government & others individuals their write-ups, so I think our site is blocked because of these same hard hitting articles. You simply cannot block a website on the basis of having a strong and opposing opinion, because in a country where anti-Islamic or Anti-Pakistan site’s are not blocked and even in an Islamic state where practically millions of pornographic sites are wide open so the whim of blocking a particular site based upon strong criticism against a certain group of individuals in power should not justifiable or even accepted by society.

As a civil society activist for unrestricted free speech in Pakistan, I vehemently condemn this incident and immediately urge the government of Pakistan to remove this censorship with immediate effect.

Press Statment issued by Dont Block the Blog can be downloaded here

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Comments
February 12, 2010

Visited the blog from UK was able to read headlines and intro but not able to download the articles to read them.
In the headlines and the intro to all articles did not see why this blog should be blocked it is a pro Pakistani blog.
Something which many Pakistani bloggers are writing about and The Nation and THE NEWS has its editorials and openion sections filled with it…. about foreign involvement in Baluchistan.
I think by all means it exposes and brings truth to the people what is happening in Baluchistan.Cannot call it a propaganda blog as the articles are contributed by many different people.
So by all means it serves the purpose of Pakistan.
——
Maybe it was blocked for this headline:
As if people are not aware of Khappe and nakhappe ki siyasat.
“”
ew Threat of PPP’s another Sindhi minister to break Pakistan – SASSI without PUNNU declares war( na-khappay)
Created by(chaudry) Created on (10-2-2010) Replies(1) Views(190)””

Posted by farrah shah
February 12, 2010

I believe as per the process, ISP are to entertain requests only from the court for blocking the websites etc. It wasn’t supposed to be done on any email from PTA directly. ISPAK has already taken up this issue (for some other website) however don’t have any update on it.

Posted by Shiraz Malik
February 12, 2010

Somehow everybody who runs a blog or a dumb news website, knows that the two guys behind Saima Mohsin were from Blackwater as everybody in the US Embassy works for Blackwater including people in the Fulbright Scholarship Program and USAID
If our media is irresponsible, the social media has achieved highest levels of irresponsibility.
Yellow journalism by Ahmed Quraishi, PKKH, PakAlerts, Make Pakistan Better and numerous others is responsible for people thinking that somehow it is Blackwater who is responsible for bombing in Karachi or Lhaore or Bannu for that matter.
After thousands of deaths, when the masses had finally accepted that these bombers, terrorists our from among us, here this “ghairat” brigade has come and somehow they know everything. It must be Blackwater because an unstable Pakistan is somehow more suitable for the US, India or anybody.
The “Not us” syndrome has hurt us for 60 years and will continue to haunt us,

Posted by Shahid
February 12, 2010

This wont work rather it will counterproductive. I support ” Press Statment issued by Dont Block the Blog”.

Posted by Aamir Mughal
February 12, 2010

Prime Minister Yusuf Gillani restores an employee who was sacked for corruption:

Posted by alpha
February 12, 2010

Actually PTA is not interested in making better Pakistan without army interference.
so see and hear the official news, newspapers and see they only speak in favor of ruling politicians and as soon as they stripped, start speaking against them but never ever speak against army mafia that is dominating our all institutions for last many years.it clearly shows that who actually is moving the threads behind such national mode of communications

Posted by Nazia
February 12, 2010

You have an obsession for something negative.Try and look for some good Mr.Teethmaestro.For example the performance of Naseem Hameed in SAF games.

Posted by Nazia
February 12, 2010

I just scanned through the website, and although I disagree with any form of censorship on principle, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of satisfaction at having such shallow-minded, parochial content off the web in Pakistan. One of the articles I scanned through was weaving a conspiracy theory around Dr. Ghambi, one of the sole voices of reason in a country beset with ultra-hardline, saudi funded wahabi madness. Good to know that the crap is off the web, but of course, on principle, anyone should have the freedom to post whatever they want online, but it makes me cringe when some people use that freedom to spew hatred under the garb of making Pakistan better.

Posted by Khurram
February 12, 2010

This will not help the piplyas. They are time and again showing that they are the civilian version of dictators. They have PROVEN that they CANNOT govern i.e. be the servants of the people of Pakistan and thus have become a target of heavy criticism. They have NOT performed well in nay field. They are old fashioned leaders with NO vision apart from the “vision” of collection PERSONAL wealth…..outside Pakistan (primarily) off course.
Btw: I ams surprised that Aamir has still not linked to a story about someone else with the same dirty tactics. Maybe it will come. There is still plenty of time left;-)

Posted by adnan
February 12, 2010

Whats the big deal? Just use a open proxy to bypass any such ban.

Posted by Faraz
February 12, 2010

Not everyone knows these techniques, so it’s a big deal for those people who are not so capable as you are!

Posted by adnan
February 12, 2010

Lack of transparency and shaky justice system will never let Pakistan thrive. On one side Taliban keep killing people and on the other hand FODP give us $2.6 billion. Pakistan can only be made a better place if all these grants are utlised in a positive and correct manner. What you guys think about it?

Posted by Amna
February 28, 2010

Asslam O Alaikum

Dear All

It has been come to our knowledge that restrictions on your site http://www.makePakistanBetter.com , imposed by Pakistani government on 18-Jan-2010 has been removed and now site is accessible in Pakistan after 40 days.

This all has happened with the grace of Allah and with your prayers and efforts.

Site was un-accessible in Pakistan for almost 40 days, from 18-01-2010 to 26-02-2010.

On this special occasion we would like to thank to Allah and to all of you.

Our special Thanks to

Mr Syed Agha Ata Ullah,

Mr International Professor,

Mr Sami Ullah Malik,

Mr Amjad Malik,

Mr Asmat Hayat Alvi,

Mr Iqbal Hadi Zaidi,

Mr Awab Alvi

and all of you.

Please be with us like you were this time and always.

Please check site’s accessibility in your area and confirm to us.

for Details

http://www.makepakistanbetter.com/why_how_what_forum.asp?GroupID=5&Group_title=Pakistan&ArticleID=8876

Thank you once again

Allah hafiz

Webmaster

Posted by webmaster
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