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A Ban Again?

The previous three-year ban on YouTube in Pakistan was an infamous occurrence.
It was the chief inhibitor in the growth of digital content. Now there is again
talk of banning YouTube in the country.

By Daniyal Talat | October 2020

In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has strongly advised a ban on YouTube. The service provider was banned in Pakistan in 2012 after the posting of a fiery video. It started fierce protests across the Muslim world. The ban was lifted in 2016 after an agreement between the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and YouTube. Under the agreement, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had the option to ask YouTube to expel any material it esteemed hostile. A government statement said: “Our government will put all out efforts to promote Digital Pakistan. The future of Pakistan is very exciting.”

In an ongoing turn of events, while hearing the case of a man accused of a sectarian crime, a YouTube ban was hinted at again. During the hearing, Justice Qazi Amin commented that everybody turns into our ‘uncle’ on YouTube; they do not pardon our families either. He said that the appointed authorities do not have any issue with the freedom of expression. In any case, the right to an individual’s life is likewise given to us by our Constitution.

He inquired whether the FIA and the PTA had seen the contents of YouTube? In response, the PTA authorities said they could not bring any specific content down and could only just report it.

Following this, many users took to social media to communicate their contempt before any choice could be made. Comedian Zaid Ali tweeted: “YouTube should be banned in Pakistan”. Through his sarcastic sense of humour, Zaid expressed his rage by adding, ” So we don’t advance as a nation. So, kids cannot educate themselves online. So, our digital industry does not thrive. So those sole earners from YouTube can lose their jobs.” He pointed out how things would turn out if YouTube were banned. He concluded, “So we can show the world how smart we are”.

Tania Aidrus, the Prime Minister’s former special assistant on Digital Pakistan, also expressed her concerns on Twitter. “Banning a platform like YouTube is not a solution. The three years YouTube was banned in Pakistan held back our content creator ecosystem which has now just started to flourish – creating employment opportunities for thousands.”

Fawad Chaudhry the Federal Minister of Science and Technology tweeted that PTA and the courts should refrain from moral policing and from adopting a banning approach. He said that restrictions on internet-based apps in Pakistan will only create hurdles in the success of the technology industry in the country. He also said, “We are still not out of the woods [because of] the judges’ ill-advised interference in economic matters.” The federal minister further said in his tweet that such an approach was “killing the technology industry” and “we cannot afford such bans.”

The current comments of Supreme Court judges to ban YouTube in Pakistan have stimulated extreme responses from individuals via web-based networking media. They have triggered uneasiness and stress among people.

Since YouTube is a great source of self-employment in Pakistan, a cross-segment of Twitter clients have contended that the restriction on the online networking application will be a matter of shame for individuals in Pakistan as thy get their livelihoods from YouTube. This incorporates youthful vloggers, some cricketers and persons from media outlets. Different columnists and anchorperson have also built their channels on YouTube.

Furthermore, YouTube is one of the biggest sources of information linked with news updates, documentaries, religion and ethics, medicine, history, educational facts, food and nutrition/diet, healthcare, guidance counseling, management, technology, analytics, finance and economics and much more. Not just that, it provides entertainment as well in a variety of segments such as music, TV serials, films and reality shows from around the globe. The restriction will only peel them off from their legitimate gains. As for youth unemployment, a YouTube ban will surely reverse the advancements made in the past few years.

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