KARACHI: The government has decided to unblock video-sharing website YouTube in Pakistan. Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday, in a message on Twitter, said the website will be unblocked in next 24 hours, DawnNews reported.

“I chaired a high level meeting with all stakeholders on the Youtube. Good job by PTA to block anti Islamic material! Pl expect Youtube unblocked in 24hrs,” said the interior minister.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had ordered shutdown of video-sharing website YouTube on Sept 17, in the aftermath of protests against anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims.”

In a directive issued to the Ministry of Information Technology, the PM stated that the decision was taken after YouTube decided against removing the film and the shutdown will remain effective until the website removes all content from the sacrilegious film.

Protests were broken out across the Muslim world against the film.

Rehman Malik late on Friday also said that people who had been pressing him to unblock the site should be happy now.

“There was a great demand to unblock Youtube from all sections of society especially fellow tweeps. Expect the notification today! Hope you are all happy now,” he messaged.

Moreover, the minister, in a relevant tweet, also said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is acquiring software to block redundant material on the website.

“PTA is finalising negotiations for acquiring a powerful firewall software to totally block pornographic and blasphemous material,” he said.