Today: 6 May 2025
4 February 2023
1 min read

Pakistan blocks Wikipedia over ‘blasphemous’ content

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had earlier degraded Wikipedia’s services in the country.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked Wikipedia due to the website’s refusal to remove allegedly offensive or blasphemy material.

Earlier, the telecom regulator had degraded the portal’s services in the country, The News reported Saturday.

When a PTA spokesperson was contacted late Friday night and inquired about the blocking of Wikipedia, the official confirmed that “yes” it had been blocked.

On the instruction of the high court, the PTA degraded — disrupting and slowing access to the encyclopedia — website for 48 hours because there was blasphemous content on it, The News reported.

The PTA spokesperson stated that Wikipedia was approached for blocking or removal of the said content by issuing a notice under applicable law and court order(s).

An opportunity for a hearing was also provided; however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the authority.

Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of PTA, the services of Wikipedia were degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported contents, The News reported.

In case of non-compliance by Wikipedia, the platform has been blocked within Pakistan.

The restoration of Wikipedia’s services will be reconsidered if the reported unlawful content is blocked/removed.

Commenting on the development, digital rights activist Usama Khilji criticised the authorities for blocking the information portal.

“Wikipedia, World’s largest encyclopaedia, appears to be blocked in Pakistan by @PTAofficialpk.”

The Bolobhi director said that the courts and regulator must realise that Wikipedia is a crowd-sourced platform where anyone with an account can edit articles, which they can also do instead of blocking the entire website, The News reported.

ALSO READ: SPECIAL: Why Pakistan is on the brink of disaster?

Previous Story

IT spending in the META region nears $100bln barrier

Next Story

Pakistan to ask Taliban supremo to rein in TTP

Latest from -Top News

UAE Reopens Doors to Lebanon

The prime minister expressed Lebanon’s “utmost gratitude and appreciation to the UAE” and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan….reports Asian Lite News Lebanon welcomed the decision by the United Arab Emirates

SYRIA RAIDS: Arab League Slams Israel

The Arab League condemned the airstrikes and called on the international community and the United Nations to confront what it described as “repeated violations committed by Israel against the Syrian state.” The

India Rises, Africa Watches 

While struggling economies in Africa engulf themselves in ideological battles and take sides in the tariff battles, nations like India are placing their national interest first and navigating Global Trade challenges in

WAVES 2025: Jaishankar Advocates Cultural Pluralism

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a powerful address at the WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue, highlighting the significance of cultural pluralism in shaping global change. Speaking on the second day of
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Indian needs to boost its Russian and Central Asian ties

Given India’s stakes in Afghanistan, it would want to avoid

Alvi in soup for letting son to use Guv’s house

Questions are being raised about the Pakistan President using his