Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Cyber Crime Bill? Or the rise of the Fourth Reich?


An alleged Cyber Crime Bill is about to be tabled in the National Assembly for debate and subsequent passage to be implemented in Pakistan to “regulate” the Internet. No Objection! carry on because Pakistan does need a proper but friendly media/cyber regulation but that doesn’t mean a rise of the Fourth Reich or regulations closer to proverbial satellite communist states. The Government of Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League (N) is the epitome of an old and time tested principle: “we learn from history that we learn nothing from history”. Not very long ago, the government of Mr. Nawaz Sharif was facing a possible military-cum-political coup d'état threat from Imran Khan and his horde. In that occasion, it was the social media, the civil society and a few intellectuals (many of them work in NGOs, yes the ones that were sweepingly attacked by Ms Anusha Rahman, the IT Minister) who vociferously defended not only the supremacy of the Parliament but the very government of Mr. Nawaz Sharif, by ripping the narrative of Imran Khan apart on the social media. Let me remind Ms Anusha Rahman that the venom that she spat on NGOs is almost the same as the one prevalent amongst the several banned militant outfits in Pakistan. Ms Anusha Rahman, by attacking NGOs, is miserably trying to appease that very lobby of Right Wing Militants who were part and parcel of the Musharraf regime that overthrew Mr. Nawaz Sharif in 1999. Anti-Islamic NGOs Working On Bad Agenda: Hafiz Saeed Saturday, August 20, 2011 http://undertaker9.blogspot.com/2011/08/anti-islamic-ngos-working-on-bad-agenda.html Foreign NGOs weakening people's faith: Hafiz Saeed . May 02, 2004 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/02-May-2004/foreign-ngos-weakening-people-s-faith-hafiz-saeed

Cyber Crime Bill 2015 (Nasim Zehra@9:30 26 April 2015)

 

Cyber Crime Bill 2015 (Nasim Zehra@9:30 26... by SalimJanMazari


It is also worth remembering that similar curbs and strong arm tactics to gag the media during Mr. Nawaz Sharif’s second tenure, became one of the reasons behind his fall. Everybody still remembers how Mr. Mushahid Hussain and Mr. Saifur Rehman unleased fascism on the Pakistani press and prominent victims were Mr. Najam Sethi and Mr. Husain Haqqani. How conveniently the government of Mr. Nawaz Sharif has forgotten the way Mr. Siddiqal Faruq, Mr. Mushahidullah Khan, Mr. Pervez Rasheed, Mr. Javed Hashmi and Rana Sanaullah were treated by the General Pervez Musharraf regime between 1999 and 2007 and it was only the Media which came to the help of Mr. Nawaz Sharif. Yet the IT Minister had the audacity to declare the apprehensions of the civil society as hearsay, in a TV Show yesterday. Pakistan is a Third World country where law enforcement agencies act as a colonial force instead of people friendly force and when a country is exploding with religious and ethnic hate, such harsh and severe regulations would open the gate of mass persecution at the drop of the hat. For example, every Mullah interprets the “glory of Islam” as per the interpretation suited to him and declares anyone opposing his view as death-deserving and an apostate. War on Jang http://jang.com.pk/thenews/spedition/waronjang/

Cyber Crime Bill of Pakistan (Awaam 22nd April 2015)



Cyber Crime Bill of Pakistan (Awaam 22nd April... by SalimJanMazari

Another absurdity which is added as an offence in the Bill: “attacking friendly countries”. Now please browse the internet and look for the statement of Mullahs of different schools of thought attacking several Middle Eastern/West Asian countries, and all these Middle Eastern Countries (Gulf States) have friendly relations with Pakistan. Is the government out of its mind or does it want to fill the prisons with all and sundry who raises his or her pen on any international issue related to foreign countries? Another joke was to add as an offence the critique on the “integrity, security or defence of Pakistan”. By the way, has anyone gone through the Wikileaks and even routine news after the War on Terror? Pakistan is a tough and rough country where law enforcers often overkill and that overkill has culminated in the present state of affairs in the country. Above all, what guarantee do the common, peaceful political commentators have in the presence of these proposed harsh laws in the hands of brute law enforcers (believe me, I have been one, once). Ms. Anusha Rahman’s response: The Fair Trial Bill!


Lastly, some of the journalists and Urdu newspapers are equally to be blamed for suggesting moral policing in Pakistan and one such journalist’s ugly reporting blocked the efforts to lift the ban from YouTube and that particular newsgroup & TV Channel raised hell when the same logic of moral policing was applied on them last year. Therefore it is requested that the Pakistani media, particularly the obnoxious rag Urdu media, either stand with the civil society or with the banned outfits. Or stop chanting cries for press freedom.



Cyber Crime Bill? Or the rise of the Fourth Reich? April 21, 2015, 7:14 pm http://nation.com.pk/blogs/21-Apr-2015/cyber-crime-bill-or-the-rise-of-the-fourth-reich 

References:



1 - Senate passes 'fair trial bill' http://www.dawn.com/2013/02/01/senate-passes-fair-trial-bill/ FEB 01, 2013

2 - The Investigation for Fair Trial Act, 2013 http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1361943916_947.pdf

3 Why Pakistan's cybercrime bill is a dangerous farce MADIHA LATIF APR 17, 2015 http://www.dawn.com/news/1176538/why-pakistans-cybercrime-bill-is-a-dangerous-farce

4 - ‘Flawed’ cybercrime bill approved http://www.dawn.com/news/1176440 JAMAL SHAHID — PUBLISHED APR 17, 2015 

5 - Cybercrime bill controversy http://www.dawn.com/news/1176124 EDITORIAL APR 16, 2015

6 - NA committee approves 'controversial' cyber-crime bill http://www.dawn.com/news/1176299 IRFAN HAIDER — APR 16, 2015

 7 - Modified Cybercrime Bill 2015 ( Peca 2015 Bolo Bhi) http://www.scribd.com/doc/262088477/Modified-Cybercrime-Bill-2015-Peca-2015-Bolo-Bhi

8 - Bolo Bhi’s Analysis of Government’s Proposed Cybercrime Law http://www.scribd.com/doc/262088815/Bolo-Bhi-s-Analysis-of-Government-s-Proposed-Cybercrime-Law

9 – PEC Bill as Modified by Expert Committee Constituted (Bolo Bhi) http://www.scribd.com/doc/262089027/PEC-Bill-as-Modified-by-Expert-Committee-Constituted-Bolo-Bhi

10 - Cyber Security Bill : NA Standing Committee Version (Bolo Bhi) http://www.scribd.com/doc/262089312/Cyber-Security-Bill-NA-Standing-Committee-Version-Bolo-Bhi









19 - The Pen Is Mightier... FEB 22, 1999 by Najam Sethi http://www.outlookindia.com/article/The-Pen-Is-Mightier/207042

20 - On Saturday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority directed local Internet service providers to make YouTube accessible. But by the afternoon, Geo, a private television news network that wields immense influence, reported that anti-Islam and blasphemous material was still available on YouTube. The criticism was led by Ansar Abbasi, a right-leaning journalist who often speaks out on morality and religion. Yielding to the criticism, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf then ordered providers to again block access to the video-sharing site. The flip-flop drew an immediate rebuke from users and led to a flurry of jokes on Twitter about the government’s dithering and backtracking. Pakistan Lifts YouTube Ban, for 3 Minutes By SALMAN MASOODDEC. 29, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/world/asia/youtube-ban-lifted-in-pakistan-for-3-minutes.html?_r=0
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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Hate Speech in Pakistan and Misplaced Priorities in Pakistan



ISLAMABAD: Facebook has blocked the popular page of a liberal Pakistani rock band and others that criticise the Taliban, allegedly at the request of the government. Rock band “Laal” was formed in 2007 and their Facebook page has more than 400,000 likes, with users frequently joining debates on issues ranging from feminism to the role of the army in politics. But it has been inaccessible to users from inside Pakistan since Wednesday. Other pages like “Pakistani.meem” which describes itself as pro-democracy and secularism and “Taalibansarezalimans” have similarly been blocked in recent days. “Facebook didn’t even inform us. I realised when I noticed no activity on our page,” Taimur Rahman, Laal’s lead guitarist, said. Facebook confirmed the move on Friday, saying Laal’s page had been blocked inside Pakistan at Islamabad’s request, under an agreement to limit access to “material that violates local laws”. A Facebook spokeswoman said: “While we never remove this type of content from the site entirely, like most internet services, we may restrict people from accessing it in the countries where it is determined to be illegal. “Before we restrict the content, we take significant steps to investigate each unique claim, consult with local counsel and other experts in the country, and will only remove content in the most limited way possible,” she added. According to a page on Facebook that deals with government requests, 162 pieces of content were restricted for viewership inside Pakistan between July and December 2013. “We restricted access in Pakistan to a number of pieces of content primarily reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Ministry of Information Technology under local laws prohibiting blasphemy and criticism of the state,” the page says. Pakistan blocked YouTube in 2012 following the release of a film that was critical of Islam. Websites for Baloch separatist movements are also banned. Shahzad Ahmad, director of the Bytes For All organisation that campaigns for free speech, said: “The is a mass murder of free speech in Pakistan.” Yasser Latif Hamdani, a lawyer, added: “This is a grave mistake by Facebook. Also for the Pakistani government to make such requests is illegal and unconstitutional.” Pakistan’s agreement with Facebook came to light last year when a senior official from the PTA was summoned by the Lahore High Court in a case concerning the YouTube ban, but its terms have not been made public. Reference: Rock band’s Facebook page blocked at govt request By AFP https://www.dawn.com/news/1111163/rock-bands-facebook-page-blocked-at-govt-request

Banning Dr. Taimur Rahman and Others in Pakistan (Awaam - 7th June 2014)

 

Banning Dr. Taimur Rahman & Others in Pakistan... by SalimJanMazari


 LAHORE: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said here on Sunday that the ban on YouTube would be lifted soon because a software had been developed for blocking content that hurt people’s sentiments. The video sharing website was blocked in September 2012 after its administration and Google Incorporation refused to comply with a request by Pakistan and some other Muslim countries to remove a blasphemous video from the site. About the demand for checking broadcast of foreign content by some private TV channels, Mr Rashid asked civil society, owners of media houses and professionals to come up with proposals for resolving the issue because any step taken by the government could be construed as an attempt to gag the media. He said that he feared that discretionary powers could open the door to misuse of authority by officials. REFERENCE: YouTube ban to be lifted soon By The Newspaper's Staff Reporter Published Mar 17, 2014 http://www.dawn.com/news/1093717

Ansar Abbasi and  GEO TV on Swat Girl Flogging

 
Ansar Abbasi & GEO TV & Swat Girl Flogging by SalimJanMazari


Recently the Media Regulatory Authority in Pakistan PEMRA has slapped a ban on GEO TV and subsequently the GEO TV sued Ministry of Defence and ISI http://www.dawn.com/news/1110985/geo-news-sues-isi-for-defamation , Only in Pakistan that Journalists and Media Houses Obstruct Access to Information and not only that they hurl command as to what should Pakistanis read, watch and listen and the same Media Group raise hue and cry when they are at receiving end . 2012 On Saturday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority directed local Internet service providers to make YouTube accessible. But by the afternoon, Geo, a private television news network that wields immense influence, reported that anti-Islam and blasphemous material was still available on YouTube. The criticism was led by Ansar Abbasi, a right-leaning journalist who often speaks out on morality and religion. Yielding to the criticism, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf then ordered providers to again block access to the video-sharing site. The flip-flop drew an immediate rebuke from users and led to a flurry of jokes on Twitter about the government’s dithering and backtracking. “YouTube is a huge convenience for users, who benefit from it for educational as well as entertainment purposes,” Zubair Kasuri, the editor of Flare, a Karachi-based telecommunications magazine, said in a telephone interview. Mr. Kasuri expressed surprise over the government’s failure to install an effective firewall mechanism despite having months to do so. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/world/asia/youtube-ban-lifted-in-pakistan-for-3-minutes.html?_r=0
Quite an Irony that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority doesn't object on several venom spitting sectarian websites in Pakistan but suggest rather arbitrary ban Harmless Laal , Taimur Rahman and many other and even more amazing that Fedral IT Minister Ms Anusha Rahman suggestion that Council Of Islamic Ideology must be consulted on You Tube Ban whereas the same Council also encourages Child Marriage and if we accept Anusha's argument then we must also follow CII on Child Marriage in letter and spirit http://www.dawn.com/news/1107849

Taliban Journalists of Pakistan

 
Taliban Journalists of Pakistan by SalimJanMazari


Several activists questioned why Facebook had not blocked other Pakistani pages that incite sectarian violence, religious extremism or hatred against minorities. As examples, they pointed to pages administrated by supporters of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, a notorious sectarian groups that has supported attacks on Shiites; the sectarian militant group Lashkar e Jhangvi;and the Red Mosque, where a violent stand-off between extremists and government forces in 2007 left over 100 people dead, and where a recently opened library is named for Osama bin Laden. “These pro-Taliban pages are spewing hatred, and we are the people they shut down,” said Mr. Taimur Rahman , the singer. “It’s insanity.” REFERENCE: Facebook Under Fire for Temporarily Blocking Pages in Pakistan By DECLAN WALSH and SALMAN MASOODJUNE 6, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/world/asia/pakistan-facebook-blocked-users-from-political-pages-and-outspoken-rock-band-laal-against-taliban-.html

How Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain AND GEO TV Incited Masses (BBC Urdu)



How Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain & GEO TV Incited... by SalimJanMazari


Pakistan Hate Speech Report 2014 by Bytes For All http://www.scribd.com/doc/228566361/Pakistan-Hate-Speech-Report-2014-by-Bytes-For-All Bytes for All : URL : “Hate speech: A study of Pakistan’s cyberspace http://content.bytesforall.pk/sites/default/files/Pakistan_Hate_Speech_Report_2014.pdf



Jang Group and GEO TV Murdered Salman Taseer (Abbas Athar BBC)

 
Jang Group & GEO TV Murdered Salman Taseer... by SalimJanMazari

 ’یہ قاتل میڈیا ہے‘ آخری وقت اشاعت: پير 10 جنوری 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/multimedia/2011/01/110110_abbas_athar_media_taseer_uk.shtml?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=22&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2


Karachi, June 07, 2014: The uncontrolled spread of hate speech on the Internet and social media is reaching dangerous levels, threatening society on many levels. The first detailed research into online hate speech in the Pakistan context – “Hate speech: A study of Pakistan’s cyberspace” – was launched today at Avari Towers, in Karachi. Jahanzaib Haque, Editor, Dawn.com and author of the 63-page study presented the principle findings and recommendations, which consisted of two independent phases of research - an online survey on hate speech responded to by 559 Pakistani Internet users, as well as a detailed content analysis of published material and comments – both textual and iconographic – on high impact, high reach Facebook pages and Twitter accounts frequented by local audiences. [Key findings can be found on page 2 below]. Haque says “The need for such a study was paramount, given the real world impact online hate speech is having in Pakistan, whether that be the well-organized anti-Malala campaign online, how social media fueled sectarian divides during the Rawalpindi riots, the arrest of a professor on grounds of alleged blasphemy for posts run on Facebook, and even the most recent online campaign of hate against media persons. Clearly the issue needs to be addressed, but without regressive action such as state-led censorship and bans.” The event was attended by parliamentarians, leading media practitioners, journalists, human rights activists, civil society, researchers and major stakeholders in the online space. A panel discussion on the issue included Ch. Muhammad Sarfaraz, Deputy Director FIA, Cyber Crime Circle Lahore, Senator Saeed Ghani, Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian (PPP-P), Faisal Sherjan, Director Strategy and Planning at Jang Group, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, President, Karachi Bar Association, and Gul Bukhari, B4A Gender Programme Manager. “We at Bytes for All hold Freedom of Expression very dear as an inviolable fundamental human right, but often see it being fettered in false paradigms of morality, security, national interest or even hate speech,” says Shahzad Ahmad, Country Director, Bytes for All Pakistan. “For the reason that speech is regularly gagged in Pakistan under these guises, and the fact that hate speech is the only real threat to Freedom of Expression, we felt it important to study online hate speech in Pakistan, to define it using the best standards, and obtain some idea of its incidence in the country. This is important to ensure hate speech becomes clearly defined, and not confused with national security, religious sentiment, morality or decency.” Ahmad further adds that, “We are proud to say this study is the first of its kind in Pakistan, and will form the basis for many more such studies to take this important work further. Much work in the coming years has to be done in this area to ensure that this threat does not impinge upon the freedoms we hold so dear.” REFERENCE: Press Release: Bytes For All launches Hate Speech: A study of Pakistan’s cyberspace posted by Admin on Sat, 06/07/2014 - 14:19 http://content.bytesforall.pk/node/134
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Monday, April 1, 2013

Unblock YouTube: Iron Curtain Pakistan.



1973 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 19. Freedom of speech, etc. Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court,[15][commission of] or incitement to an offence. [19A. Right to information: Every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law.]. Reference: The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/ PART II Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part2.ch1.html


THE right to know or access to information is one of the basic human rights. The United Nations in its very first session in 1946 had declared freedom of information as a fundamental human right and virtually made it the touchstone of all the freedoms to which this international body is consecrated. Information is considered as the oxygen of democracy. This means the masses has the right to question or to know about the actions and decisions of their leaders or an institution at all levels. Timely information serves the public and ultimately strengthens democracy and contributes to the good governance. Access to information is like empowering people by giving them the information that can help them gain control over their lives, which strengthens the participatory democracy. Under international obligations, Pakistan is the first country in South Asia that came up with a Freedom of Information Ordinance in 1997 initially. Later, this legislation was fine-tuned in the shape of Freedom of Information Act 2002. Reference: Access to information touchstone of all freedoms by Mohammad Ali Khan 7th July, 2011 http://dawn.com/2011/07/07/access-to-information-touchstone-of-all-freedoms-2/ Special Thanks to Dr Taimur Rahman for the picture and Campaign for Unblocking the YouTube in Pakistan https://www.facebook.com/laalpak  


Due to excessive fingering by Pakistan Telecommunications Limited (PTCL) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) even several news sites are not working in Pakistan and Irony! PTCL is totally gone! Alleged Broadband (read dial-up) is not working! Yet PTCL has the audacity to launch a campaign for Smart TV whereas if anyone makes a complaint about Poor Service of Broadband Pakistan, the usual reply from Customer Support is "Change your computer, change your cable, and above all always blame the International Fault but amazingly the subscribers are regularly (monthly basis) charged for the service which the subscribers never get which is advertised on PTCL Website.

Competition Commission Of Pakistan on PTCL Broadband  http://www.scribd.com/doc/133332392/Competition-Commission-Of-Pakistan-on-PTCL-Broadband


Cornering the market: PTCL accused of violating competition regulations http://tribune.com.pk/story/396066/cornering-the-market-ptcl-accused-of-violating-competition-regulations/ PTCL forces half of DSL operators to quit by Iftikhar A. Khan 20th June, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/06/20/ptcl-forces-half-of-dsl-operators-to-quit/

 
December 29, 2012: But the ban on YouTube came to be seen as censorship, and a growing number of the estimated 25 million Internet users in the country complained. “This is purely a naked power play by the government and one that we should resist,” an editorial in The Express Tribune, an English-language daily newspaper in Karachi, Pakistan, said Friday. “This is about controlling our behavior and denying us access to the Internet.” “We need to make it clear that we do not wish to regress to a dark age when a centralized authority controlled all access to information,” the editorial, observing the 100th day of the ban, went on to say. “Retreating to such an era would essentially mean that we were no longer living in a democracy.” By Friday evening, Rehman Malik, the country’s interior minister, indicated that the ban would be lifted over the weekend. Mr. Malik said firewalls by government technicians were being installed to block pornographic and blasphemous material. On Saturday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority directed local Internet service providers to make YouTube accessible. But by the afternoon, Geo, a private television news network that wields immense influence, reported that anti-Islam and blasphemous material was still available on YouTube. The criticism was led by Ansar Abbasi, a right-leaning journalist who often speaks out on morality and religion. REFERENCE:Pakistan Lifts YouTube Ban, for 3 Minutes By SALMAN MASOOD Published: December 29, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/world/asia/youtube-ban-lifted-in-pakistan-for-3-minutes.html?smid=tw-share
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