The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has blocked the broadcasting of illegal and provocative content on the website of the US-run Jamaat Ahmadiyya.
According to media reports, the Telecommunications Authority of Pakistan (PTA) had earlier this month sent a legal notice to Haris Zafar, the administrator of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya’s website True Islam, and his colleague Amjad Mahmood Khan, ordering that the website be shut down.
“True Islam’s website contained provocative and insulting material that offended Muslims, and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat also used the web to preach to its people,” the statement said.
Press Release: PTA blocks the website www.trueislam. com for viewership in the country. pic.twitter.com/057V9pWju7
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) January 22, 2021
In the notice, the PTA had clarified that if the website was not shut down, it would be fined USD 3.1 million and would be prosecuted in Pakistan under anti-Islam laws.
PTA approached the administrator of website www.trueislam. com for removal of unlawful online content from the website, being in violation of section 295-A, 298-B & 298-C of Pakistan Penal Code and per se abuse of Article 260 (3) and Article 31 of the Constitution of Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/HQgNs3y6rw
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) January 22, 2021
It should be noted that this action of PTA is in accordance with the legal provisions of the applicable national laws in Pakistan.
In accordance with the provisions of Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguard), Rules, 2020 (“Rules”), the administrator of the website was directed to remove the unlawful content.
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) January 22, 2021
PTA posted a series of tweets on its official account for the announcement of banning the website.
It’s a brazen act of suppression of freedom of expression
In its reaction, one of the site Managers, Harris Zafar said the website is based in the US, where both he and his colleague, Khan live and work, and called Pakistan’s action “a brazen act of suppression of freedom of expression and freedom of religion.”
Pakistan's attempt to harass and prosecute Americans is a clear overreach that shows how far its government has been infested by extremists. @ImranKhanPTI and @PTAofficialpk should focus on helping their citizens, not policing the world.https://t.co/U5aDwxmUoQ
— Harris Zafar (@Harris_Zafar) January 21, 2021
Zafar also said in an email to The Associated Press, “All content is US based and all activities are in the US as well,” said Zafar. “There is nothing about Pakistan on the site.”
Pakistan’s parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974.
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