Western Media has gone crazy with heroic news stories portraying superlative character of security companies, such as Cisco, Mcafee, Websense, Verizon and Sandvine – who have decided not to submit proposals for upcoming centralized URL filtering system of Pakistan.
A blog at New York times writes:
In less than a month, five of eight companies have said they will not respond to Pakistan’s request for proposals, known as an RFP.
This was real funny, for those at least who had few minutes to read the RFP floated by ICT R&D Fund.
Here’s why: Check below highlighted text taken from RFP for National URL Filtering System:
So the tip for the best technology journalists and bloggers of west: Please spare few minutes and read the RFP carefully. These humongous security companies were never invited for the task in the first place.
I guess it was simple to understand.
You can view RFP here, and FAQs here.
By the way Cisco, Websense and Mcafee voicing against web censorship is even more hilarious, especially when:
- China’s great firewall is managed by Cisco
- Mcafee is offering URL filtering services in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, and Oman
- Websense is offering URL filtering services in Yemen
Check below tweet to see when Mcafee was caught with pants down
Our Pakistani brothers and sisters, who tip western media, please don’t mock your country and yourself too.
Excellent. Very nice and appropriate post.
Yes you guys who asked for you to participate. In fact you are NOT allowed to participate since it is for local companies only.
We should have a local movement here in Pakistan. It happens everywhere in the Gulf including UAE and Saudia Arabia. All these big foreign multionationals need local partners. Yes the locals get enriched but I would rather have a Pakistani brother get enriched than profits derived from Pakistani consumers sucked off to a foreign country. Atleast my Pakistani brother will re-invest a majority of his newly acquired wealth in Pakistan.
agreed ..!!!!
— In fact you are NOT allowed to participate since it is for local companies only.
Except you’re missing one FACT: the only reason it is for local companies is that the PTA and ISPs found Cisco, etc. solution to be too expensive. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON they tried for a local solution. Otherwise you don’t see ISPs and PTA trying to build local software services, local routers, anything of that sort. Contracts at this level go to foreign companies, not local.
You want evidence? Read this message by a major ISP & SUPPORTER of the filtering system: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pakgrid/message/6952
Relevant paragraphs:
For last year or so, PTA wanted ISPs and the Internet backbone service providers, i.e., PTCL and TWA to install an automated URL filtering and blocking system. The operators stance was that since they were operating on already thin margins, it wasn’t possible for them to invest millions of dollars in implementing a new system. The operators were of the view that since they were already contributing huge amounts to USF, ICT R&D Fund and PTA license fees besides paying taxes, the project should be financed from one of these funds.
Series of consultations were held at PTA with the ISPs and it was decided that such a system should be locally developed within Pakistan so that it won’t have any foreign dependency. The system would be implemented at Internet gateways with PTCL and TWA and its operations and management would be with the operators. The consultations concluded that development of such system in Pakistan could also save huge amount as of the shelf systems of this capability are quite expensive.
Like Kaptaan Imran Khan says stop boot polishing the foreign operators.
Shahid Saleem stop polishing boots of foreigners. This is the only way we can stop the current situation in the country from happening: the foreigners boots on our backsides!!
Shahid Saleem, while you’re right in saying that, it doesn’t change the fact that these self-righteous companies WEREN’T asked to submit any bids.
See, if they WERE asked to submit bids, i bet you that they wouldn’t have done the whole refusal PR stunt…business is business ;)
You have not been following the news lately it seems. They are being heavily criticised for selling hardware to countries like Syria. In fact, some have pulled out because of public pressure.
Ah yes, that’s because Syria is in the limelight nowadays.
You don’t see these companies pulling out of S.A., Kuwait, U.A.E., etc now do you?
Well, without a conflict there, it’s a different situation.
But, honestly, when Kuwait, UAE, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, etc installed their filtering systems, did you think the governments there said “we will use this to hide the truth about the government” or “we will use this to track our citizens”??? Of course not! They said the EXACT SAME THING our PTA and filtering advocates say: it’s to keep harmful anti-Islamic content and propaganda from our citizens! It’s good for our kids!
And look how they used the systems. In Tunisia for example, they inserted Javascript into Facebook login pages to track down and torture non-government activists (which is why Facebook rolled out its HTTPS facility).
Agreed agreed, but that’s another matter though.
DON = DON ko pakarna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai.
Shahid Saleem = mujey samajhna aur samjhana mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai.
Oh, and if you don’t think foreign companies will bid for the contract, you are mistaken. Of course some (especially Chinese) will try to sell their own products at a lower price than Western systems.
But still they were not intended or asked for… you are persisting wrong point here… totally irrelevant…
The RFP doesn’t say they can’t bid through a local partner.
Wrong again friend. The enriched Paki brother will always use his excess cash to have a few more wives and use rest of his fund for going to Mecca for Umra.
nusrat rizvi zaban sambhal k baat kiya karo Umra pe jana tujey bura q lag raha hai?tum phelay bhi anti islamic comments kar chukay ho.whether u r qadiayni or indian dont cross ur limit.aik baat tu confirm hai tum musalman nahi ho saktay.
Huawei Symmentic is enough for all :)
Indian flavor in western media. Unnecessary b*lls*hits. lol
+1
great post:)
I wish there is some way to know reaction from those companies
hahaha…I lol’d :D
Alhamdulillah – Pakis are capable enough to handle this kinda stuff… :)
In 65 years of existence this country has failed
to provide something as basic as clean drinking water. So what are we capable of handling except cheating and fraud like all other Muslim nations.
This of course guarantees flight of intelligentsia to the free West.
hum ney atom bomb bana liya is se bari kia baat ho gi,agar sachay dil se kaam karein gay phir ALLAH bhi bhi madad karey ga.aur doosray muslim countries ko bhi beech q main ley ai. kia malaysia ney tarakki nahi ki?kia saudia arab main qanoon ki pabandi nahi hoti? wahan tu dukan khula choor k namaz parhney chaley jatey hain,kia UAE main qanoon ki pabandi nahi hoti?mujey tu aap indian lag rahay ho koi muslim ya pakistani isa nahi keh sakta.
gr8 work propakistani! seriously why’re these ppl taking so much interest in our domestic issues!?
well done, good post.
Hypocrisy exposed… Well done pro-pakistani
biased propaganda post by propakistani as always
we don’t want censored internet in pakistan
but zyda loog censord internet chahtey hain,q k zyda loog achay hai pakistani main ,porn must be block.
Lol……propakistani has finally got an article to take revenge from those that were against the filtering system idea and propakistani had difficult time dealing with them.
yeah, Pakistan has enough talent to develop inhouse solutions
If western IT companies are so bad, why are you using their services like hosting, adSense.
In English this is called hypocracy
jiss thali say kha rahay ho usi par thook rahay ho
Read last line, that has an easy meaning of what i wanted to communicate…
When we buy services from any company, we accept their terms and conditions. So if Pakistanis are using services from western companies they have agreed their terms and conditions.
World is simple. If you accept the conditions, use services. Otherwise do not use them. If you are using their services and still criticizing means hypocritical
x2 shehzada!
No it isn’t hypocrisy.
What silly argument you are trying to make is that because we object to the self-promoting pompous Marketing and PR department at McAfee that we object to free trade. Nobody is advocating a boycott of foreign products or services. One is just saying that we support a local solution and to encourage indigenous R&D like it is done in China.
And just because Facebook is banned in China doesn’t mean they also boycott American products like Coke and Starbucks. And if Huawei is prevented from bidding for sensitive telecommunication contracts doesn’t mean the US is suddenly going to stop using Chinese products.
So maybe you should spend some time thinking through what people are trying to say than prematurely launching into Shairo Shairi.
If you are going to use Urdu expressions, do everyone a favor by first learning them then phrase them accurately.
Thanks for this.. very informative post. It really helps us a lot.
@Admin
You r mocking yourself by trying to force government to decide what is good or bad for us.
And btw, this still doesn’t justify internet censorship. And China also bans religion, in some parts you are not even allowed to pray because of its communist/Atheist nature of government. So should Pakistan do that too cuz it is happening in China. I don’t get your logic.
Keep your help with YOURSELF.
We are good enough to develop our own solutions. InshaALLAH…
Any idea ,Who all have now submitted their response to the RFP .?
The plan has been put on hold.
We don’t need Western companies’ help, their products and their education/information. Boko Haram for life.
This National URL Filtering System will become reality with our own local talent. InshaAllah this system will be so good that we can export it to earn valuable foreign exchange.
I have full believe in our own local talent. After all, we are using our own local made computers, operating systems, softwares, IT technology, adsense etc.
We do NOT need any Western help or their filthy education and information which is full of pornography.
Why we need help of Western people when we are fully capable of cutting our own legs. Blocking of Rolling Stones and many other websites is a clear example how we are going to use National URL Filtering System.
Pakistan Zindabad. Western Culture Murdabad.
Boko Haram for life.
Great One
Make Easy For The hackerzz to hacking firewalls etc.
Wonderful Find! Keep it up dude..
bohat aala :D