The government has blocked Urdu and Pashto websites of Voice of America (VoA) for covering anti-Pakistan activities of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).
If you attempt to access, the website shows several errors like “www.urduvoa.com took too long to respond.” or “The connection to www.urduvoa.com was interrupted while the page was loading. The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified.”
According to an official from VoA, the Pashto website was blocked months ago when they covered a PTM rally in which anti-Pakistan slogans were raised.
However, the Urdu website was blocked just last week after coverage of PTM MNA, Mohsin Dawar’s press conference.
Dawar’s name is in the Exit Control List (ECL) for above-mentioned activities and he was barred from flying abroad in a Dubai-bound flight last week, which prompted him to call a press conference.
“Initially, we received complaints that the website was not accessible at some places, but later it was completely blocked,” the official said.
The official also told that the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has also confirmed the website was inaccessible in the country for the same reasons.
VOA’s English website published a report in which it cited Chaudhry saying that the websites in Pakistan were blocked for false and prejudiced reporting.
Chaudhry told Dawn that the blocked websites had been spreading anti-Pakistan propaganda against security forces and for posting prejudiced material.
“The government, therefore, asked Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block these websites.”
I thought we had moved passed censoring opponents. It’s idiotic and only gives credence to the insensible news that VoA publishes.
In the famous words of GRRM: “When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say.”
And when it comes to negative coverage of Pakistan, the world is very much interested to listen. So congrats, by banning them we’ve given them legitimacy.
It was involved in Anti State coverage and was rightly banned. Media propaganda is part of hybrid warfare, VOA is US state department funded organisation. Just yesterday, BBC was questioning Asad Umar on censorship and media freedom while censoring his comments on mentioning of Kulbushan Yadav, why such hypocrisy? Before lecturing others, West should look itself in the mirror!
“Rightly banned”
It’s not banned for the rest of the world, and now by banning them we’ve given them the legitimacy they sought. Every state has anti-state propaganda websites against it. No state acknowledges them on this level because it’s not only useless, it’s idiotic.
“VOA is US state department funded organisation”
So start your own government funded organization to counter the propaganda. Nobody listens and will listen to our side if we keep banning all the critics.
I’ll give you a real life example: Michelle Obama. When her husband was in office she was called all sorts of names and criticized in every way possible by the Republicans. Not only did she never respond to them, she coined the phrase, “When they go low, we go high.” In today’s world, she is not only highly respected, her slogan has made, and continues to make, international headlines. When your opponents go low, you don’t stoop to their level to combat them; you rise above.
By banning these outlets we’re showing the world we’re afraid of what they have to say. And none of this works out in our favour.
Only Urdu and Pashto websites were banned for anti state activities that they were doing being warned just as Many NGO were invovled in suspicious activities here and were asked to leave. The hybrid warfare comes in Media propaganda and NGO who serve such purposes and I can give many examples, The invasion of many middle eastern countries were justified because Western Zionist Media shaped the public opinion when there was no evidence, they came up with false stuff and those countries suffered. NGO are being used for similar purposes to bring so called revolutions as we witnessed in Ukraine few years ago.
You have not addressed why BBC censored Asad Umar comments on Kulbushan Yadav? Why BBC did that if Media is free in the West? Why CNN fired it’s anchor while passing comments on Israeli crimes? Where does the freedom go mate?
“You have not addressed why BBC censored Asad Umar comments on Kulbushan
Yadav? Why BBC did that if Media is free in the West? Why CNN fired it’s
anchor while passing comments on Israeli crimes? Where does the freedom
go mate?”
Do I look like the spokesperson for CNN and BBC? Go ask them. I’m not defending them. I’m saying that fighting with pigs in the dirt isn’t going to get us clean. It’s going to get us as dirty, if not dirtier, than the pigs we fight with.
As for Urdu/Pashto, when a state officially acknowledges an outlet it gives that outlet legitimacy in the form that the issue was serious enough to be handled by the state itself. This issue is not serious enough, it’s should’ve been ignored not legitimized.
Michelle Obama wasn’t the first person to go high went her opponents went low. All the leaders who’ve made history have done that, Quaid-e-Azam, Pope Francis, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and most important of all our Prophet SAW. You want to make history against your opponents and prove your point? You go high. You want to be like your opponents and play in the dirt? You’re never going to prove them wrong. History has proven that again and again and will continue to prove it.
I asked for it because you kinda ignored it in the previous comment of mine. It’s a simple question that why the West which champions free speech and freedom is censoring things which does not serve it’s interests?
State has the right to take action to protect national security, the issue is pretty serious and Pakistan can’t allow anyone to cause disturbances in the FATA area after so much sacrifices. We know whose agenda Western Media serves.
In the US, the country felt threatened to accuse RT and ordered it to register as a foreign agent and Britain froze their accounts. I mean I can cite many examples of such hypocrisy of the West.
@Nawaz Rajput Kindly come out of this Hybrid warfare and bla bla. World will not listen to our blabla.
The fact is that All Pakistani websites are allowed in America and in Europe. So we should do the same with their websites.
Also Remember that the biggest Enemy of Pakistan is the Pakistanis themselves. We don’t need enemies. We are enough to destroy our country.
The Army Chief has recently talked about the hybrid war which is being waged on war, fourth and fifth generation wars are a reality mate.
We are entitled to our opinions! Pakistan should do whatever needed to protect our security, whether it’s CIA backed NGO’s or Western Zionist Media propaganda against us!
Dawn Leaks and Mumbai Attack admission were courtesy of Nawaz Sharif, and many traitors could be found in our own ranks!
Still Web-sited are running : No One Have Rights to Use Bad Words About Pakistan .
Itna Hum Bhi Bure Nahi Jitne DUSRE Hai Unk Liye Koi Media Nahi Bolta Lage Pare Rehte hai Pakistan Ko Badnaam Karne K Liye
@AbdulWAHABAlam:disqus According to one of the articles you are jobless and searching for the job. So go out ad search for the job rather than talking and commenting on every website especially on Pro-Pakistani
Go and get a life. No one is responsible for your lazy attitude. You are yourself to blame for this.
Kindly help me to find my dream job rather then “UNGLI Uthana” on my comments.
I am very grateful to you if you can do for me.
Banning them will simply prove the point that in Pakistan we are trying to bury any voice of dissent. This will not go well with the Western countries.
All Pakistani websites are open in America and Europe. We should do the same with their websites.
Good work.
Very good decision.
@disqus_Rehman:disqus @c I totally agree. Few days ago Fawad Ch. said that banning foreign content on our media is not the solution and that Pakistani media should come up and compete. Same should go for news sources. Allow Indian and other news channels like DW etc. Then see who comes up truthful. Banning and censoring news sources and even Tv programmes like Homeland Season 4 or the movie G I Joe Retaliation is sheer cowardice and makes things even more fishy. It gives unnecessary credulity to false news let alone true ones.
بہت اچھا کیا۔ میں وائس آف امریکہ کا قاری نہیں مگر کچھ ماہ پہلے ان کی ایک خبر دیکھ کر حیران رہ گیا جس میں 3 یا 4 آدمی اندرون سندھ میں دیامیر بھاشا ڈیم کے خلاف احتجاج کر رہے تھے اور وائس آف امریکہ نے ان کی فوٹو کے ساتھ خبر کچھ اس طرح لگائی ہوئی تھی جیسے لاکھوں یا کروڑوں لوگ احتجاج کر رہے ہوں۔ کفر پاکستان کے کتنے خلاف ہے وائس آف امریکہ کو دیکھ کر اندازہ ہوتا ہے۔
Best… Waise barri jaldi khayal agaya authorities ko