Pakistan’s National Assembly passes resolution for lifting YouTube ban

The world's largest videos sharing website remains banned in Pakistan since September 17, 2012.

The ban was imposed after YouTube refused to heed Pakistan government’s request to remove a controversial film from the website which was considered blasphemous.

Pakistan’s National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution seeking to lift the ban on popular video-sharing website YouTube, nineteen months after it was blocked in the country for blasphemous content.

Pakistan Peoples Party politician Shazia Marri submitted the resolution, during today’s session, demanding the lifting of the ban on YouTube which was unanimously accepted by the lower house of the Parliament.

Marri said the government should lift ban on YouTube as soon as possible.

She said people were using proxy servers to watch YouTube and that the government should not adopt any double standards in this regard.

The world’s largest videos sharing website remains banned in Pakistan since September 17, 2012, when then Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered the Information Ministry to block it.

The ban was imposed after YouTube refused to heed Pakistan government’s request to remove a controversial film from the website which was considered blasphemous and sparked violence in many Muslim countries across the world.

The American-made movie had triggered violent demonstrations across Pakistan that left more than 20 people dead.

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A case is already on in the Lahore High Court against the ban.

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