PTA Takes Action, Blocks 452 Netflix Movie Links in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that it had blocked 452 out of 778 links containing blasphemous content from a Netflix movie.
IHC Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing of the petition addressing the blasphemous content issue in the movie.
In compliance with the court’s directive, the PTA counsel submitted a report to the judge, detailing that the authority had identified 778 links with accessible blasphemous content. The PTA had successfully blocked access to 452 of these links.
The PTA clarified that the blasphemous movie’s trailer was aired on Netflix, and if it appeared on any other website, they would request its removal.
The court found the report satisfactory. However, the petitioner’s counsel requested another report from the PTA and asked to keep the matter pending.
In the previous hearing, the PTA revealed that major social media platforms had been asked to establish offices in Pakistan to facilitate the blocking of unwanted content.
It suggested a permanent ban on Netflix for uploading a ‘sacrilegious’ film. Additionally, the PTA urged Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to open franchises in Pakistan within six months. The court acknowledged these efforts and instructed the PTA to submit another report, adjourning the hearing for a fortnight.
