Month: September 2013

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Authorities fall back on old YouTube advice

ISLAMABAD: While experts are unable to find any way to block unwanted material on social networking website, YouTube, the Ministry of Information and Technology is working on ‘Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill’ which it considers can pave the way for a localised version of youtube.

The bill might take one or two more months to be presented in Parliament and then passed and implemented. But that is a basic requirement to convince any international website to launch a localised version in the country.

The ministry only reached this point after it realised filtration of sacrilegious content is a very expensive and difficult process.

Although during the previous days the ministry claimed having found some way to block blasphemous content on YouTube, it may be able to open the website when it would be fully confident about the achievement.

But it does not seem possible at this point in time, so the ministry is considering certain other options. Without assuring that blasphemous content could not be seen on the social-networking, re-opening it would not be possible for the government, as it might incite protests and riots across the country.

On the other hand, for a localised version of YouTube, it is a pre-requisite that legislation is done to provide shelter to the website from bad or unwanted posts.

As per the proposed law, the website cannot be sued in case something immoral and illegal is shared on it. But in response the website will be bound to remove that material or content from its localised domain. However this bar will not be applicable to its international website.

As per an official of the ministry, the developers of YouTube were contacted and asked to remove sacrilegious material. It has been two months. They are taking the plea that content blocking would be against its policy. They float the idea about a localised version of YouTube though.

At present many countries have their local versions of YouTube. These include India, Turkey, Malaysia, Algeria, Jordon, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen. YouTube has also proposed localised versions for Saudi Arabia and some other countries.

For Saudi Arabia blasphemous content has been blocked without blocking the website. Pakistan does not have enough resources to get a similar thing done.

For India blasphemous content was blocked by YouTube on local version. China does not have a localised version but a very powerful filter to block unwanted content.

The Nation

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Pakistan’s ‘cyberwar’ for control of the web

LAHORE: In a dingy Internet cafe, Abdullah gets round the censors with one click and logs onto YouTube, officially banned for a year and at the heart of Pakistan’s cyberwar for control of the web.

On September 17, 2012 Islamabad blocked access to the popular video-sharing website after it aired a trailer for a low-budget American film deemed offensive to Islam.

Pakistan summoned the most senior US diplomat in the country to protest against the “Innocence of Muslims”, demanding that the film be removed and action taken against its producers.

A year later, the film is barely mentioned but YouTube, whose parent company is US multinational Google Inc, is still banned in Pakistan, as it is in China and Iran.

Pakistan is no stranger to censorship. Foreign television programmes deemed offensive are blocked. Films shown at cinemas are stripped of scenes considered too daring.

But the YouTube ban is in name only.

Internet users like Abdullah Raheem, a university student in Pakistan’s cultural capital Lahore, can easily access the site through a simple proxy or Virtual Private Network (VPN).

“Most people who go to school or university know how to access YouTube, but not the rest of the population,” says Abdullah. Only 10 percent of Pakistan’s estimated 180 million people have access to the Internet, one of the lowest rates in the world.

“This ban has no impact,” says Abdullah, who still feels bad about logging onto YouTube. “As a Muslim, I’m ashamed… because the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ defiled Islam.”

Pakistan blocked the site only after Google was unable to block access to the film because it has no antenna in the country.

Although Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt defended hosting the film, the company did have the technology to block access to it in countries such as Egypt, India and Saudi Arabia.

But the Pakistani government didn’t stop there. It then ordered that websites be monitored for “anti-Islam content”.

The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which specialises in Internet censorship, says Pakistan has used Canadian company Netsweeper to filter websites relating to human rights, sensitive religious topics and independent media.

The researchers say that pornographic content and political websites from Balochistan, the southwestern province gripped by separatist insurgency, are among those blocked.

Shortly after Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was arrested in April, Pakistan shut down access to a satirical song posted on YouTube’s rival Video that poked fun at the army.

But the song “Dhinak Dhinak” performed by the Beygairat Brigade, which is Urdu for Shameless Brigade, quickly went viral as Pakistani Internet users went through proxy VPNs to watch it.

“It is still creating waves. So I think they helped our popularity by banning that song,” said the Brigade’s lead singer Ali Aftab Saeed, 29.

Saeed believes that the authorities are bent on a wider campaign of Internet censorship, not just restricting access to items considered blasphemous in the nation.

“We thought that they would try to ban just the link to that particular video (‘Innocence of Muslims’) but they instead banned the whole website (YouTube) and then they extended it to satire and people who discuss the role of military groups. So yes, it is a worrying situation,” he told AFP.

Shahzad Ahmad, director of Internet rights campaign group, Bytes For All, also says that online censorship serves a wider political agenda than just shutting down blasphemous content.

“The government is trying to curtail, limit and curb citizen freedom of expression,” Ahmad told AFP.

He says citizens are waging a “cyberwar” against Pakistani institutions who are blocking and filtering the Internet.

“There is a very clear defiance from users, particularly from the youth on government filtering,” he told AFP.

Bytes For All has gone to court in Lahore, demanding an end to “illegal and illegitimate” censorship of the Internet.

The fight is vital to stop the government developing tools of censorship that threaten “the security and private live” of individuals, says Farieha Aziz, a member of the Bolo Bhi advocacy group that is closely following the case, which encompasses the YouTube ban. Software surveillance FinFisher, developed by British company Gamma and able to access content on personal computers, has been detected recently on Pakistani servers.

Although it is unclear whether it has been deployed by Pakistan’s own intelligence agencies or foreigners, the NSA scandal in the United States has heightened suspicions. In Pakistan, the cyberwar has only just begun.

Daily Times

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Right-to-Information Bill tabled in KPK Assembly

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday tabled ‘Right to Information Bill’ in the provincial assembly while the opposition members walked out from the proceedings in protest against ignoring their demand by the government regarding the District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC).

Soon after the recitation from the Holy Quran, newly elected members, including Ahmad Khan Behadar, Jamshid Mohmand from Mardan, Shah Faisal from Hangu and Azam Khan Durrani from Bannu administered oath.

Amid tight security arrangements, the KPK Assembly met with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. The KPK Minister for Information Shah Farman move ‘Right to Information Bill’, if it is passed from the provincial assembly would facilitate the general public and media to get information about provincial government departments.

The opposition benches, including Pakistan PML-N, JUI-F, ANP and PPP lawmakers walked out from the assembly session against not honouring the commitment made by the government with them about DDAC. “The government had assured the opposition about the appointment of their members as chairmen DDAC but they have so far neither been consulted nor taken them into confidence,” PML-N MPA Manawar Khan Marwat said while raising the issue.

They, however, ended their boycott on the request of provincial ministers Yousaf Ayub, Shah Farman Khan, Israrullaha Khan Gandapur and Yaseen Khalil. Meanwhile, KPK Information Minister Shah Farman assured the House that they would take up the issue with the chief minister.

Speaker Asad Qaisar kept the adjournment motion of Qaimous Khan pending till the arrival of minister for health. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Khan Gandapur, who was responding on behalf of the ministers, advised the chair to keep the motion pending till the arrival of minister because they did not want politics on this sensitive issue.

MPA Qaimous Khan observed that the dengue virus had affected thousands of people in Swat and victims were facing problems in hospital due to lack of proper arrangements and facilities.

Similarly, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP)’s Anisa Zeb apprised the House about growing threats of dengue virus. Expressing concern over the ongoing arrangements by government, she said it needs seriousness instead of cosmetic steps.

Taking notice of the absence of minister health and officers in gallery, she directed other members of the cabinet to prepare a list of the absent secretaries so that action could be taken against them with the consultation of the chief minister.

Through a call attention notice, PML-N’s Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota told the House about the recent devastating floods destroying 60 per cent roads in his district, corps and others buildings. The lack of maintenance and repair funds was multiplying miseries of the people.

The ANP’s Sardar Hussain Babak said the government should have provided funds to the DCs for such emergencies like situation. Ushar Zakat Minister Habibur Rehman said that he himself had visited the site but Babak had constructed the Bacha Khan Model School at the bank of canal. This infuriated Babak, saying the ministers should have responded positively instead of criticising him. He said the site had been selected after proper procedure of various government departments.

The PPP Salim Khan urged the government to take practical steps for improving damaged irrigation and communication system in Chitral district.

The PTI’s Yaseen Khalil said that his government has provided Rs.5 million to each DC for immediate relief of the affected people in such emergencies.

He said it was the responsibility of the concerned DCs to provide them the list and the members should also cooperate with them so that problems could immediately be resolved. The ANP’s Jaffar Shah and JUI-F Mufti Janan, PML-N’s Manawar Khan raised the problems of their respective districts complaining against the lack of various facilities.

The Nation

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Registration of anti-terrorist case against TV channel against freedom of expression: Senate committee

ISLAMABAD: Expressing its displeasure over registration of a case under anti-terrorist law against a private TV news channel, the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Monday directed the Balochistan government to refrain from registration of cases against media. The committee meeting chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha said that FIR against a private TV channel over showing video footage of the unfortunate incident of Ziarat residency was against the spirit of the freedom of expression and the committee would not tolerate this.It also asked the Secretary Information Balochistan to submit the list of all those newspapers and TV channels against whom cases were registered for airing or printing similar material.

“ No compromise will be made on the freedom of expression and no such incident will be tolerated in future”,said Kamil Ali Agha.

Zafar Ali Shah said that it was good that the government has already withdrawn the FIR against a news channel,but at the same time he asked the media to keep the national interest supreme while covering various incidents.

Farhatullah Babar said that the statement of the provincial information secretary and the Balochistan CM are contradictory.

Earlier Information Secretary Balochistan said that the FIR against the TV channel was not registered on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.However he said that law and order situation there was not normal and courts have time and again asked the administration to take action against those newspapers and news channels that glorify the terrorist activities. In this regard he mentioned a Balochistan High Court order.

Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Chaudhry Rasheed said that the authority has not taken any discriminatory action against on particular TV channel but issued notices to all violating rules.

Agenda item about foreign content on local channels was deferred with a directive to PEMRA to present a comprehensive report of rules violations and the action taken against the violators within ten days.

About the PTV presentation on the appointments in the corporation the Chairman of the committee Kamil Ali Agha said that it was very unsatisfactory and asked Secretary information Dr Nazir Saeed that the ministry itself should provide a report on PTV.

Expressing its concern over the reports that the PTV has not taken part in the bidding to purchase rights of showing Pakistan cricket matches,the committee decided to summon the past two managing directors of the PTV and ask them how during their tenure the PTV used to telecast the matches live.
The meeting was attended by Senators Fahatullah Babar, Shirala Malik, Daud Achakzai, Saeeda Iqbal, Farha Aqil and Zafar Ali Shah.

Senior officials of the Information Ministry,PEMRA and PTV were also present in the meeting.

Associated Press of Pakistan

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Mobile shop blown up in Charsadda explosion

CHARSADDA: Unidentified militants blew up a mobile shop with explosive material in Charsadda on Monday. The militants had planted a remote-controlled explosive device outside a mobile shop in Sardheri area. The shop, owned by Azizur Rehman, was damaged in the explosion. Bomb Disposal Squad said that one kilogramme of explosive material was used in the attack. Sources said that militants had warned mobile shop owners in the area to avoid copying songs and videos on memory cards, otherwise, they would have to face dire consequences.

Daily Times

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Journalist threatened to leave Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Faced with threats from the law enforcement agencies, Karachi-based journalist Ali Chishti has been forced to move to the federal capital after being threatened by the Karachi police to leave the city.

“Why am I so sure that they were police personnel? Because they had official weapons, official mobiles, and even the way they behaved all matched the typical style of the Karachi police,” Mr Chishti said.

He was addressing a hurriedly called press conference arranged by the Safety Centre for Journalists at the National Press Club (NPC) here on Monday.

Narrating his ordeal, Ali Chishti, who works at a weekly magazine, said his car was stopped by six policemen standing along with a mobile van at around 8pm on August 30.

“It was an isolated area and I stopped my car immediately. They pulled me out, manhandled me and eventually blindfolded me,” he said, adding,

“They took me in the police mobile and later handed me over to another group of men.”

“After inflicting severe physical and mental torture, they left me at an isolated spot from where some police personnel gave me a lift in their official vehicle,” he said.

However, he said his ‘rescuers’ then started demanding Rs50,000 from him, and did not specify any reason for the kidnapping and torture.

Instead, Mr Chishti was only directed to leave the city immediately. Responding to a question, Mr Chishti acknowledged that he had initially thought his kidnappers were political workers, but the style and body language of his kidnappers was clear proof that his kidnappers were actual policemen.

He said to ensure that he had left the city, some people had also gone to his office in Karachi two days later, inquiring about his where abouts.

DAWN

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Who is taking on journalists?

ISLAMABAD: With Karachi often described as a mafia city, it is increasingly becoming hostile towards journalists who are being forced into silence and compelled to flee the city. Infact, two journalists have had to leave their hometown within the last month.

Although writing a report about parties harbouring militant wings is not possible for a journalist without risking his or her personal safety, the attacks on journalists have increased with the passage of time as the federal and provincial governments watch as silent spectators.

While a woman host of a talk-show fled the city in early August following a call intercepted by the intelligence agencies revealing a murder plot to be carried out by four target killers, a male journalist has recently been brutalised and told to leave the city. Both incidents happened in August and were publicized although it is hard to ascertain how many journalists have quietly left the city under threat.

In the first case, the police had informed the woman journalist about the life-threats after she did programmes on the mass-scale rigging in Karachi on election day. In the other case, a journalist was kidnapped by policemen on August 30 who later handed him over to another group who roughed him up.

The involvement of the police in such activities coincides with an admission by the IG Sindh before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a recent briefing that around 6,000 criminals were which needed to teach him a lesson. He was released after 10-hour captivity and his driver is still missing.

“They accused me of betraying the ethnic community I belong to,” he told The News in Islamabad, his latest destination, adding they criticized him for creating misunderstandings between a political party and a state institution.

“They warned me against writing anything about domestic politics and advised me to write only about international issues,” he explained. He was also accused of feeding information to Chirya, a reference to Geo TV’s talk show host, Najam Sethi.

As they asked him to quit Karachi, he told them that he would follow their order. Asked where he would go, he said he planned to settle in London, a reply that provoked them into his further beating and was asked to move to a city within Pakistan.

He was later dumped on roadside and the passersby informed the police which, instead of helping him, demanded Rs 50,000, and said failing to do so would land him in jail as a terrorist. They gave up the extortion demand only after he told them about his relation with an SHO of the area, nevertheless, the police forced him pay them Rs2,000 as petrol expenses.

In the lady host’s case, fingers were also pointed towards the political party which categorically rejected any role. She also moved to Islamabad and wrote a blog explaining the reasons behind her decision to quit Karachi.

After eye-witnessing massive rigging at the polling stations where she went to cast her vote but could not, she said she did a number of talk shows highlighting this issue. Later she went to Saudi Arabia for Umra and found her house surrounded by police upon return to Karachi.

As soon as I opened my cell phone after returning to my home, she wrote, the first call I received was by SP of her area. He said only one sentence “Madam where were you? Please don’t leave your house. I am on my way.” The Police and intelligence agencies men came to my house shortly, she explained.

“I was told by them that they had intercepted telephone calls detailing that four target killers had been assigned to target me or my family and the attack would be made to look like a robbery at gun point.”

According to all intelligence reports, all the terrorists belonged to the largest ethnic political party of Karachi, her blog reads. A delegation of the political party visited her residence after she contacted it about the calls intercepted by the intelligence agencies. The party delegates refuted the report.

She then asked herself: “I was unsure who to believe? My saviours had become my enemies? Were the agencies pitting me against a political party to play their proxy wars? Or was this whole thing the truth?”

Soon after this shocking news, she sent her brother back to Canada and moved her ailing mother to an undisclosed city before flying to Islamabad where she brought the issue to the notice of Prime Minister during his meeting with TV anchors.Besides meeting the PM, she wrote: “I met Interior Minister and DG ISI but my all efforts went into vain.”

The News

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Judicial inquiry into journalist’s abduction demanded

PESHAWAR: The media watchdog organisation Freedom Network (FN) has demanded a judicial inquiry into reports that men in police uniforms kidnapped, tortured and detained investigative journalist Ali K Chishti.

“What Chishti has described is shocking that the Karachi police could kidnap a journalist to deliver him to the Boss,” FN said.

Ali Chishti, who writes for Pakistani and foreign publications on security issues, went on air on Friday night to describe his ordeal after being picked up from Karachi’s PECHS area along with his driver on August 30 at around 8pm by “uniformed personnel” of the Karachi police.

“Upon enquiry, I was told that I am not being kidnapped but someone wanted to see me; when I asked who?” They said “Boss,” Chishti said.

“Chishti’s kidnapping is the second case after journalist Abdul Razki Baloch’s body was found with signs of torture on August 21 in Karachi. Anything less than a thorough investigation under the supervision of a Sindh High Court judge will not take us to facts,” FN demanded of the Sindh chief minister. Meanwhile, Senator Saeed Ghani of the Pakistan People’s Party has contacted Chishti and promised an investigation.

Daily Times

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Journalist picked up, thrashed by police

KARACHI: A young journalist accused police on Friday of picking him up and thrashing him last week.

Ali K. Chishti, a correspondent of Friday Times, said he was intercepted by some half a dozen policemen in the PECHS area minutes after he had left his office with driver on Aug 30.

Mr Chishti, who felt that there was serious threat to his life, left for Islamabad after the incident. He said he ‘suspected some people’ of being behind the incident. However, he did not mention any name.

“I was dragged out of my car, put into a police vehicle and taken to Do Darya where I and my driver were handed over to some people in civvies. I also heard a gunshot…soon after we were taken out of the vehicle. I was kept there for nine hours and severely beaten up. My driver has since been missing,” he said.

Mr Chishti said the people in civvies threatened him and asked him to leave the city within 24 hours and refrain from reporting the matter to anyone. They also ‘abused’ Friday Times editor Najam Sethi, he added.

“I wrote extensively on national security issues and also about extremist elements. I am not sure but have enough reasons to believe who they were and why they did it to me,” said Mr Chishti.

Our New York Correspondent adds: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Pakistani government to fully investigate the abduction and beating of Mr Chishti.

Mr Chishti told CPJ and other news outlets that he had been abducted and beaten up on Aug 30, and released the next morning.

DAWN