7 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Pakistani authorities have announced this Tuesday that the Wikipedia page has been unblocked after several days of restrictions for alleged “blasphemous content” and “intentional non-compliance by the platform with the instructions” given by the state regulator.
“(Pakistan) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the restoration of the Wikipedia website with immediate effect,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said. “The prime minister has also created a government committee for matters related to Wikipedia and other online content,” she said through her account on the social network Twitter.
Sharif has ordered the unblocking of the website after the Cabinet analyzed the situation and highlighted that the measure “harms more than benefits”. Thus, he has confirmed its unlocking in a statement and has ordered the aforementioned commission to “analyze and recommend alternatives when it comes to accessing content that may hurt sensibilities at a social, religious or cultural level.”
The blocking of Wikipedia has raised controversy in the country, where a large number of people have condemned the measure through social networks. Other platforms such as YouTube have also suffered temporary blockades in Pakistan due to their content, also considered blasphemous or immoral.
