Regulating websites

Published February 27, 2014

THIS is apropos Fahad Daud’s letter (Feb 9). It was about the PTA’s policy of regulating critical websites for Pakistani users. He argued that as a free citizen he has the right to surf whatsoever he wants to in his privacy.

The problem is that the PTA is not for just one citizen. It is for the entire nation, and being a state institute it is the custodian of Pakistan’s ideological borders and state policies.

If some indecent websites are blocked by the PTA on the demand of the people, the PTA has no obligation to heed to the demand of one citizen.

Although the PTA didn’t block some websites such as Youtube for this purpose, the reason for blocking Youtube was the blasphemous material being shown on those websites.

Fehmida Abdul Sattar
Karachi

Opinion

Editorial

Spoiler alert
17 Jun, 2026

Spoiler alert

AFTER the temporary peace deal between the US and Iran is physically signed in Geneva on Friday, an arduous process...
Storm-tested cities
17 Jun, 2026

Storm-tested cities

THE deaths caused by the latest spell of monsoon rains in KP and Punjab illustrate how quickly severe weather can...
Chakwal tragedy
17 Jun, 2026

Chakwal tragedy

A NINE-year-old girl is dead because a Punjab Crime Control Department gunman mistook her family’s car for a...
A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...