The Wikipedia ban in Pakistan shows the "inconsistent and recurring attempts by Pakistani authorities to restrict internet access, a concerning pattern that "undermines the country's nascent knowledge economy," Al Arabiya Post reported.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the media regulator of Pakistan, temporarily blocked access to Wikipedia over the presence of content that was considered insulting to Muslim sentiments, as per the news report. The people could not access Wikipedia for two days until Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued directives to restore it on February 6.
The ban on Wikipedia suggests that "Islamist groups and their radical ideologies continue to hold considerable sway in Pakistan, particularly on the matter of blasphemy, irrespective of which political party holds power in Islamabad," Al Arabiya Post reported. The allegations of blasphemy offence often lead to mob violence and attacks in Pakistan.
International and local human rights organizations have claimed that blasphemy accusations are often used to target minority religious groups and resolve personal grudges, as per the news report. At least 80 people have been killed in Pakistan over blasphemy allegations since 1990, the Al Arabiya Post report said. On February 1, PTA announced it was "degrading" access to Wikipedia in Pakistan due to the presence of "sacrilegious content" and gave the website 48 hours to remove them.
After the ban on February 4, the PTA said it blocked...
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