Pakistan: Anger Over Proposal to Ban Instant Messaging in Sindh Province Reporter: Naeem Sahoutara & Shadi Khan

Saif Date: 03/11/2013 Slug: Pakistan internet ban INTRO Internet freedom activists in Pakistan are angry over proposals by the government of Sindh Province to impose a three month ban on instant messaging services, including Skype, Viber and WhatsApp. The provincial government says the move is necessary as a security measure. and claims the ban will help detach criminals from modern means of communication. Naeem Sahoutara and Shadi Saif Khan report from Karachi, the countrys IT hub. TEXT: Sindh province has been plagued by severe militant, sectarian and criminal violence this year, with the city of Karachi being particularly badly hit. SFX1_Ministers announcement. In an attempt to stop the violence, the government of Sindh wants to place a ban on instant messaging. Sharjeel Inam Memon is the Information Minister for the Sindh government. Sharjeel Clip 1 (Male, Urdu): The law and order situation and the lives of the people are important to us. So the government has decided to shut down sites such as Tango, Viber, Skype and WhatsApp for three months, so that the terrorists and criminals who are using these networks to communicate can be stopped. The Sindh government wants to see a nation-wide ban. The central government regularly shuts down cellular networks for extended periods on important national and religious holidays to ensure the safety of the people. The countrys mobile network has been switched off about 12 times over the last year. SFX2_Students chit-chat Students, like Ibrahim Abbas, say banning sites and applications will not stop the violence.

Ibrahim Clip 1 (Male, English): There are various proxies you can use through your Android phone, and through these proxies can easily access Viber and WhatsApp. If a terrorist is planning a bomb using Viber technology, hes smart enough to be able to use a proxy. It will only add to the miseries of the citizens. To some, including 25-year-old media student Salima Bhutto, the governments proposals sound absurd. Salima Clip 1 (Female, Urdu): Its a joke. YouTube and Viber are the things that young people use the most. So, banning them would only frustrate us. I would never support a nationwide ban. Pakistan, which now has 30 million internet users, has seen a tremendous growth in social media in recent years. Around 8 million Pakistanis use Facebook and some 2 million are on Twitter. And the number is increasing by 7 percent every year. Bloggers like Afia Saleem believe it has had a positive effect. Afia Clip 1 (Female, English): It has become a very powerful tool to bring to the public space, issues, which the mainstream media either side lines or deliberately ignores. I think its contributing a lot to the information flow, awareness, advocacy and outreach and activism. Its really a very positive role. A recent survey by an international watch-dog, however, placed Pakistan in the list of top ten countries around the world with the least internet freedom. Successive governments have all imposed restrictions on internet use in Pakistan. But they also depend largely on social media to promote their political agendas. Politicians, like Awab Alvi from Pakistans Tehrik-e-Insaf party, are calling for the government to review its policy on banning instant messaging applications. Awab Alvi (Male, English): The ban happened on YouTube in 2005 and 2010. The government needs to educate the people that the bans do not serve any purpose of filtering the information. But for now the Sindh government is pushing ahead with its ban on Skype, Viber and WhatsApp. For Asia Calling, this is Naeem Sahoutara with Shadi Khan Saif in Karachi, Pakistan.