Pakistan
In 2007–2008, political turmoil and
campaigns to curb media coverage in
Pakistan took place against a relatively stable backdrop of Internet filtering directed at content determined
to be blasphemous, secessionist, antistate, or anti-military. One of the
most widely reported instances of filtering occurred in February 2008,
when a government order to prevent
access to a YouTube video mocking the Prophet Muhammad resulted in a nearglobal block of the entire YouTube Web site for around two hours.
Background
During General Pervez Musharraf’s first term as president, military control was applied
over the judiciary and the ruling party in Parliament, and print and electronic media
were censored where the content was deemed to be anti-government or anti-Islam.
Government repression of media has been particularly acute with regard to Balochi
and Sindhi political autonomy, content considered blasphemous, and other anti-state
or anti-religious content.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency
In 2007–2008, political turmoil and
campaigns to curb media coverage in
Pakistan took place against a relatively stable backdrop of Internet filtering directed at content determined
to be blasphemous, secessionist, antistate, or anti-military. One of the
most widely reported instances of filtering occurred in February 2008,
when a government order to prevent
access to a YouTube video mocking the Prophet Muhammad resulted in a nearglobal block of the entire YouTube Web site for around two hours.
Background
During General Pervez Musharraf’s first term as president, military control was applied
over the judiciary and the ruling party in Parliament, and print and electronic media
were censored where the content was deemed to be anti-government or anti-Islam.
Government repression of media has been particularly acute with regard to Balochi
and Sindhi political autonomy, content considered blasphemous, and other anti-state
or anti-religious content.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Filtering
No Evidence
of Filtering
Suspected
Filtering
Selective
Filtering
Substantial
Filtering
Pervasive
Filtering
Political
Social
Conflict and security
Internet tools
Other Factors
Low
Medium
High
Not
Applicable
Transparency
Consistency