Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif orders authorities to unblock Wikipedia after ‘blasphemy’ row

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the authorities to unblock Wikipedia, reported Pakistan's local newspaper. The statement comes days after the online encyclopedia was restricted for "blasphemous content". Last week, Pakistan banned Wikipedia across the country and accused the platform of deliberately not removing blasphemous content.

"Based on the above recommendation, the Prime Minister is pleased to direct that the website (Wikipedia) may be restored with immediate effect," read the statement released by Pakistan's PMO. 

Pakistan's government had given multiple chances to the platform to present its stance in a hearing but it failed to do so, said Pakistan's telecommunication regulator. 

Earlier, social media giants Facebook and YouTube have previously been banned for publishing content deemed sacrilegious and Blasphemy is a sensitive issue. These bans on social media platforms have been opposed by digital rights activists and proponents of free speech who have argued that the move would deprive millions across the country of free knowledge and research material. 

Shehbaz Sharif orders unblocking Wikipedia 

According to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office which constituted a three-member ministerial committee comprising the ministers of law, information, and economic affairs to deliberate on the matter.

"Blocking the site in its entirety was not a suitable measure to restrict access to some objectionable contents / sacrilegious matter on it," said the committee, while taking the decision of unblocking the free platform.

 Further, added, " Wikipedia is a "useful" website that supports the dissemination of knowledge and information for the general public." The Prime Minister had formed a separate cabinet committee comprised of the ministers of IT, law, information, commerce, and communications who could perform  "co-opt any expert members or seek an opinion from expert individuals/organizations to reach its findings," as per the press statement cited by the local newspaper.