Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, seeking removal of a 3-year-old ban on YouTube.
The video-sharing website was blocked in Pakistan in September 2012 over its failure to take down the blasphemous “Innocence of Muslims” movie that sparked furious protests around the world then.
In its petition today, PTA contended that the authority had banned YouTube on the order of apex court. The authority, it said, however launched a local version of YouTube, removing objectionable content for users in Pakistan.
The petition says the ban on the world’s largest community powered video site is not necessary after the launch of the localized version. The court, therefore, should lift its ban on YouTube, the petition pleaded.
It must be noted that Google last week announced a local version for YouTube that will have tailored content for Pakistan region. However, unlike PTA claimed in the petition, the blasphemous content is available on the video sharing website.
It maybe recalled that Pakistani ISPs have already opened the access of YouTube in Pakistan, however, official removal of ban is subject to Supreme Court’s order.
In case the Supreme Court lifts the ban from the Youtube, the people of Pakistan will be able to gain access to the world’s biggest video streaming site after a gap of three and half years
With over 1 billion monthly users worldwide, YouTube is the world’s largest online video sharing community, and is now available in 88 countries locally, as well as in 76 global languages, including Urdu.
