Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the telecom regulator to restore the online encyclopedia “immediately” on Monday. Sharif’s administration stated that blocking the site entirely was not a viable approach to restrict access to undesirable content. “This broad ban’s unexpected repercussions exceed its benefits.”
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that a government committee will evaluate the website ban and “other internet content”. The group will study and recommend alternative technical means to deal with offensive content on Wikipedia or other online information sites, taking in mind the country’s “social cultural and religious sensitivities,” where blasphemy remains a very contentious and sensitive subject. According to Reporters, at least 80 individuals have been slain in Pakistan over blasphemy claims since 1990, including family members of the accused, their lawyers, and at least one judge. Wikipedia’s Wikimedia Foundation applauded Pakistan’s restoration. “Lifting this prohibition means that Pakistani people can continue to profit from and participate in its growth within a worldwide movement that aspires to promote and share verified, reliable, and free knowledge,” it stated. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) gave Wikipedia 48 hours to remove “sacrilegious content” or “degrade” access on February 1. It did not identify sacrilegious content. Two days later, the PTA disabled Wikipedia after claiming Wikipedia had not responded, sparking national indignation. On February 4, the Wikimedia Foundation said the ban “denies the fifth most populous nation in the world access to the largest free information collection”. “If it continues, it will restrict everyone access to Pakistan’s knowledge, history, and culture,” it said.
The foundation also noted it does not choose Wikipedia articles or manage it. Pakistan has blocked major websites, gaming, and social media apps. The PTA disabled YouTube for more than three years between 2012 and 2016 owing to “blasphemous” content. TikTok was banned for nearly six months in 2020 for “promoting profanity and depravity”.
