Blogspot domain being blocked again in Pakistan

THREE days after the lifting of the wholesale ban on the Blogspot domain in Pakistan, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) appears to have resumed its blocking of the entire popular free blog hosting domain. Problems with accessing the said domain were reported on May 6, verified by dozens of Internet activists across the country.

“It just seems that this cat-and-mouse game was probably played out just to appease the world during the annual World Press Freedom Day which was held on May 3,” said Dr. Awab Alvi of the Don’t Block the Blog campaign. “Ironically it was the same day that the entire ban was lifted and we were actually patting each other on the back for a job well done. Who knew that three days later we were again to land flat on our face?”

Alvi said the “brief period of freedom followed by the censorship” has only made them even more determined to create change. “We will fight them to the nail and I assure you with good support from you and other international agencies we can indeed dream of knocking some common sense into the bureaucracy.”