Pakistan Lifts Wikipedia’s Three-Day Ban Over ‘Sacrilegious’ Content

After blocking Wikipedia for three days over content regulators deemed "sacrilegious," Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered authorities to lift the ban after finding out that it was not a suitable measure to restrict access.

(Photo : KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)
A journalist reads information on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on Jauary 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. Free online knowledge site Wikipedia will shut down for 24 hours beginning at midnight eastern standard time in protest at draft anti-online piracy legislation before the US Congress, founder Jimmy Wales said Monday on Twitter.

Lifting the Ban

The Pakistani government has unblocked the three-day ban on Wikipedia in the South Asian market. Engadget reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to lift the ban as he described the restriction as "not suitable measure to some objectionable contents or sacrilegious matter on it."

Shebaz added that the consequences of this restriction outweigh its benefits. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked the online encyclopedia last Wednesday after not removing certain content. Wikipedia was given 48 hours to resolve this to avoid repercussions.

A PTA spokesperson added that despite removing some of the materials on the site, Wikipedia did not remove it all, which caused the three-day restriction. However, details of the material have not been revealed.

This decision received backlash from the South Asian nation and made global attention. BBC reported that free speech campaigners were concerned regarding this move from the government, saying that this may be an effort to control the posted content on the internet.

Digital Rights Activist Usama Khilji stated, "The main purpose is to silence any dissent. A lot of times blasphemy is weaponized for that purpose."

Wikipedia's Response

The parent company of the website Wikimedia stated, "We hope that the Pakistan government joins us in a commitment to knowledge as a human right and restores access to @Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects promptly."

The company added that the Wikimedia Foundation does not have the power over what content is included on every Wikipedia page or how that content is maintained as a way to ensure that articles are the result of many people coming together to find out what to post on the site.

By doing this, Wikipedia respects and supports the editorial decisions of the community of editors worldwide.

The prime minister is also in the middle of establishing a cabinet committee that will include ministers for IT and Telecom, Law and Justices, Information and Broadcasting, and Commerce and Communication. TechCrunch reported that the committee would handle matters related to Wikipedia and other content posted online.

According to the statement, the committee aims to "explore and recommend alternative technical measures for removal or blocking access to objectionable content posted on Wikipedia and other online information sites, in view of our social, cultural and religious sensitivities, on the touchstone of proportionality."

Pakistan blocked several social networking and entertainment sites in the country for different reasons. This includes YouTube's blockage in 2010 for its irreverent content and Facebook's blockage after the internet campaign to draw Prophet Muhammad.

Dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr are prohibited in the country, as it was described as disseminating "immoral content."