Blogspot Banned in Pakistan 2 nd March 2006
Cartoons Cartoons Cartoons
Supreme Court Constitutional petition on March 2 nd Ordered the blocking of websites displaying the cartoons 12 websites to be blocked
Pakistan Penal Code Article 249-C Use of derogatory remarks, etc; in respect of the Holy Prophet. Whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
One specific website of the 12 was hosted on the blogspot domain DrawMuhammadWeek.blogspot.com
Pakistan Telecom Authority PTA – establishes a Pakistan Internet Exchange (PIE) Two Nodes control & Monitor all internet access in and out of Pakistan –Karachi –Lahore The authorities currently maintain a simple DNS Level block on blogspot.com
PTA has tried to censor pornographic websites in 2003 PTA has also occasionally blocked Anti-govt websites 2003 – South Asia Tribune
Pakistan Internet Exchange PIE uses Cisco routers to block traffic, which are capable of more complex filtering rules Monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic from Pakistan Filters content depending on the whims of the administration Stores all data for three months
Blogspot.com All sub-domains on blogspot are blocked Blogger.com is unblocked so one can view comments and make posts but NOT view the website
Sample Traceroute March 3 rd ms 189 ms 175 ms MaxSuper-Pesh.super.net.pk [ ] ms 215 ms 167 ms super28-line-001.super.net.pk [ ] ms 174 ms 159 ms ms 175 ms 199 ms s9-1-2.rwp44d2.pie.net.pk [ ] ms 167 ms 183 ms rwp44.pie.net.pk [ ] 6.* * * Request timed out. 7.* * * Request timed out. 8.* * * Request timed out. 9.* * * Request timed out. 10.* * * Request timed out. 11.* * * Request timed out. 12.* * * Request timed out. 13.* * * Request timed out. 14.* * * Request timed out. 15.* * * Request timed out
We Choose to Speak out We Choose to Protest
Pakistan Protests 1.Don’t Block the Blog 2.Action Group Against Blogspot Ban in Pakistan - AGABBIP 3.Pakistan 451
Don’t Block the Blog
Don’t Block the Blog Creation of Dr. Awab Alvi (Teeth Maestro) teeth.com.pk/blog Omer Alvie (Olive Ream) oream.blogspot.com An online awareness campaign to protest against the blogspot ban
Action Group Against Blogspot Ban in Pakistan groups.google.com/group/AGABBIP
Pakistan 451 pakistan451.wordpress.com
Censorship of Knowledge Wikipedia Blocked
Wikipedia blocked for 7 hours March 31 st 3.5 million pages of Wikipedia censored Blockade was due to ONE specific page displaying the cartoons AGABBIP mailing list was very active for the seven hours but just before press release was ready to be dispatched, the ban was lifted
Censored for 7 hours
We are the people This is the face of a contemporary Pakistan We are students, teachers, artists, journalists, activists and business men and women They Cannot Ignore Us
Free speech is a prerequisite for any democratic society that respects civil liberties
I along with many bloggers are fighting for free speech…
not just for the blog voices in Pakistan but for a global free speech
Our Goal To highlight the fact that free speech is a prerequisite for any democratic society that respects civil liberties To bring the issue of free internet speech for Pakistan and Pakistani bloggers to the fore
The concerned authorities must address the needs and requirements of Pakistani internet users This is the face of a contemporary Pakistan. We are students, teachers, artists, journalists, activists and business men and women. And they cannot ignore us.