The popular online encyclopaedia Wikipedia was abruptly suspended by the telecom regulator last week for failing to “block/remove sacrilegious content,” as Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, ordered on Monday.
Wikipedia is a free, open-source, editable online encyclopaedia that millions of people use as a starting point for basic knowledge. Wikipedia was suspended on February 4 by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for failing to “block/remove sacrilegious content” within the allotted 48 hours, a decision that was roundly criticised.
Before the suspension, the PTA has downgraded Wikipedia services across the nation for disobeying its orders. The topic was brought before the premier, according to a handout released today by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a copy of which is accessible at Dawn.com.
According to the statement, the prime minister subsequently formed a committee of the ministers of law, economic affairs, and information for “preliminary examination of the problem.”
It was also said that the committee met and that its members discussed how Wikipedia supported the “dissemination of knowledge and information for the public, students, and the academics.”
The PMO statement stated that “blocking the site entirely was not an acceptable way to restrict access to any harmful content.” Therefore, the benefits of this general ban are outweighed by its unforeseen consequences.
According to the panel’s recommendations, PM Shehbaz ordered the website’s quick restoration and established a separate cabinet committee with the ministers of law, information, commerce, and communication under the leadership of Aminul Haque, the IT minister.
The cabinet committee’s terms of reference were outlined in the PMO handout, which stated that it will “examine the suitability” of the PTA’s decision to restrict Wikipedia.
In addition, the committee would “consider our social, cultural, and religious sensibilities” while considering alternative technical means for the deletion or blocking of undesirable content on Wikipedia and other online information sites. According to the statement, the committee would also make other recommendations with the aim of “balanced” online content monitoring.
According to the PMO handout, the cabinet committee would receive assistance from the Ministry of Information and Technology.
The handout stated that
“the committee shall deliver its report with suggestions for consideration by the federal cabinet within a week.” Knowledge access is a fundamental human right.
The organisation that controls Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation, stated this week that
“it does not make choices around what content is included on Wikipedia or how that content is maintained.”
This is done
“by design to guarantee that articles are the result of many individuals coming together to choose what information should be provided on the web, resulting in richer, more unbiased articles,” it had said.
“We think that everyone has the right to access knowledge. The largest free information collection is inaccessible to Pakistan due to a block on Wikipedia. Pakistan is the world’s fifth most populous country. If it persists, everyone will lose access to Pakistan’s history and culture”, it had been stated.
“We hope that the Pakistan government joins with the Wikimedia Foundation in a commitment to knowledge as a human right and promptly restores access to Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, so that the people of Pakistan can continue to receive and share knowledge with the world,” the statement continued.
