[governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering

Thu Feb 23 12:52:39 EST 2012

"existilang" is meant to read as "existing"


On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 5:51 AM, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro <
salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 2:50 AM, Arzak Khan <azrak_khan at hotmail.com>wrote:
>
>> The main purpose behind placing this filtering box is to allow the
>> government at any time to completely restrict what it desires.
>
>
> Do they block according to existilang laws such as Obscene Publication Act
> etc. When I went into the site that Shahzad sent in relation to the link he
> sent for the RFPs, I noticed that it was being put up by an arm of the
> Government Ministry which was the R&D Fund. I then went into Pakistan's
> Legal Database to see how this was organised and found the following:
>
> "The* Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) (Amendment) Act, 2006
> (Act No. II of 2006) *seeks to amend the Pakistan Telecommunication
> (Re-organization) Act, 1996. It provides for legal cover to the changes
> made in the telecom sector introduced through the Telecom Deregulation
> Policy and Mobile Cellular Policy. It further provides for establishment of
> R&D Fund (Research and Development Fund) USF (Universal Service Fund), its
> administration and utilization making it obligatory also on the part of the
> Licensee to contribute to R& D plus US Funds. It enhances the powers of the
> Federal Government to increase the number of members of the Authority and
> further classifies the functions of Authority i.e. Pakistan
> Telecommunication Authority".
>
> [Several questions surface and I would like ask the following:-
>
>    1. Was the amendment debated in Parliament? Was it the "express will
>    of the people" ? It says "Act" but at the same time it is categorised as
>    President's Order. I could assume that it was the decision of Pakistan's
>    legislature;
>    2. I have difficulties understanding how a Tribunal established by the
>    Federal Government in Pakistan is the Appellate Forum along with the High
>    Court under the *Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization)
>    (Amendment) Act, 2006 (Act No. II of 2006). *Who gets to choose?*
>    *
>    3. As an outsider, I am somewhat comforted by Pakistan's National
>    Judicial Policy, see:
>    http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/NJP2009.pdf which
>    shows the Courts approach to perceived encroachment to certain liberties;
>    4. It will be good if the Pakistan IGF could run workshops for the
>    general community and weave it into judicial workshops and the main thing
>    is to get people to understand the diverse perspectives etc and also get
>    the Pakistan Human Rights Commission more involved in IGF if they are not
>    already;
>    5. I also note that this is a sensitive issue especially for those in
>    conflict territory" and you may wish to read an excellent piece on "Freedom
>    of Expression in Conflict Areas such as Pakistan, see:
>    http://www.hrcp-web.org/shownews.asp?id=23
>
> The reality is at the end of the day even for the ICCPR, and freedom of
> expression there are rights and responsibilities and there are exceptions.
> It is the determining of the boundaries that is at stake.
>
>
>
>
>
>> Presently ISP have been instructed to do it but than the chain becomes
>> complicated and long for these internet restrictions to be implemented.
>> Also ISPs do need to consider the business case for such kind of blocking
>> and filtering e.g. in the event of blocking porn in Pakistan we have seen
>> considerable decline in video traffic so we have seen reluctancy of certain
>> ISP in complying to the growing demands of govt to block or deny access to
>> certain content.
>> Also with the growing use of social media networks for digital activism
>> the government feels threatened from the free and open internet. Example
>> being complete blocking of websites highlighting human rights abuses in
>> Balochistan.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> Arzak
>>
>> ----------
>> Sent via Nokia Email
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Shahzad Ahmad **
>> Sent: 2/23/2012 2:32:52 PM
>> To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org **, 'Anriette Esterhuysen' **
>> Subject: RE: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking
>> System.
>>  Thanks Anriette for the kind message.
>>
>> We think that this advertisement is just to complete the bidding and
>> documentary process as it is required now otherwise, competing parties end
>> up in the court. The system would have already been in place by now... who
>> knows?
>>
>> Right now, we are working on our public statement against the proposed
>> system. Will post it here and send to you separately.
>>
>> Best wishes
>> Shahzad
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org
>> [mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org<governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org>]
>> On Behalf Of Anriette
>> Esterhuysen
>> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 6:47 PM
>> To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>> Subject: Re: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking
>> System.
>>
>> Thanks for this Shahzad. Very relevant for next week's panel. The
>> transparency of putting out a public call for bids for filtering and
>> blocking systems is quite remarkable :)
>>
>> It shows confidence, it sends a strong public message, and it will also
>> encourage competition and innovation in the internet industry to come up
>> with 'smarter' ways of filtering.  All very disturbing.
>>
>> Anriette
>>
>>
>> On 23/02/12 06:14, Shahzad Ahmad wrote:
>> > Folks,
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Forwarding for your kind information, the little news and the grand
>> > plans of Government of Pakistan to build Great Firewall.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > We believe that it coincides well with the UN's Experts Panel on 29th
>> > Februaryand the panelists may like to raise this?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > RFP is attached and here is the link:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf
>> > <http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > *An excerpt from the RFP: *
>> >
>> > "/Each box should be able to handle a block list of up to *50 million
>> > URLs* (concurrent unidirectional filtering capacity) with processing
>> > delay of *not more than 1 milliseconds*."/
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Bytes for All, Pakistan have been expecting that there will be major
>> > crackdown on the Internet towards elections. and this probably is the
>> > start of things to come in the near future. We are going to issue a
>> > public statement on this and will share the updates.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Best wishes and regards
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Shahzad Ahmad
>> >
>> > www.bytesforall.pk <http://www.bytesforall.pk>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> ------------------------------------------------------
>> anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
>> executive director, association for progressive communications
>> www.apc.org
>> po box 29755, melville 2109 south africa tel/fax +27 11 726 1692
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>
> Tweeter: @SalanietaT
> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
> Cell: +679 998 2851
>
>
>
>


-- 
Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala

Tweeter: @SalanietaT
Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
Cell: +679 998 2851
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