Govt blocks, unblocks URLs containing written off bank loans info

ISLAMABAD: The government is trying to censor the internet even prior to enactment of the Cyber Crime Bill for political voice of dissent and exposing the government wrongs.

On Friday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued directions to different internet service providers to block 10 URLs containing the information about the written off loans of Rs280 billion by different commercial banks.However, after a few hours, the PTA again approached the same internet service providers with the direction to unblock these URLs. No reason was explained.

However, following the first PTA direction issued at 5:45pm on Friday an alarm was raised regarding the government’s possible intentions to use its muscle to suppress the political dissent or blackout the government wrongs.

The 5:45pm direction from the PTA was issued by Syed Waqas, Consultant-Technical (Web Analysis), Internet Policy and Web Analysis Division, PTA Headquarters.

While giving the internet addresses of 10 URLs, all containing details of bank loans written off, the PTA directed the internet service providers, “It is requested to block the following URLs and, flush out the same from cache.”

Confirmation of the blocking of all these URLs was required from the service providers by Monday.However, over an hour later at 6:44pm, the same officer from the PTA sent another email to all the internet service providers to convey, “Dear All, It is requested to please revert blocking of links in trailing email. Your kind acknowledgment in this regards is requested please.”

Interestingly, the targeted URLs have the information about written off loans recently presented before the Senate, which was told that during the last 30 years, hundreds of private companies had got their bank loans – exceeding Rs50 million – waived while only in the last three years of the incumbent government, banks have written off loans of more than Rs280 billion.

Presently, the government intends to enact the Cyber Law to regulate unchecked social media and internet, which in the absence of any regulation regime are massively misused for smear campaigns, spreading hate material, cyber crime, pornography etc.

Severe punishments are recommended in the proposed Cyber Crime Bill to protect the people from disrepute and defamation. The social media and internet also contain blasphemous material but there is no mention in the government’s proposed bill to check this extremely serious crime.

While the government claims that it would not use this law to suppress political dissent or cover up government’s wrongs, sections in the media and civil society apprehend that the government will use this law to block opposite view.