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Is Wikipedia Banned in Pakistan?

Published in Internet Censorship Pakistan 2 mins read

Based on the provided information, no, Wikipedia is not currently banned in Pakistan. While a ban was briefly imposed, it was swiftly lifted.

Understanding the Situation

Access to Wikipedia was temporarily blocked in Pakistan in early 2023 due to concerns raised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Timeline of Events

According to the information provided:

  • The PTA issued a warning stating that Wikipedia services would be blocked if certain content remained available.
  • On February 3, 2023, Pakistani authorities proceeded to block access to Wikipedia.
  • Just three days later, on February 6, 2023, the situation changed significantly. The then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, intervened and ordered the PTA to immediately remove the ban on Wikipedia.

Resolution

The Prime Minister's directive effectively ended the block. This indicates that the ban was a short-lived measure and was quickly reversed by higher authorities. Therefore, as of the lifting of the ban order, Wikipedia should be accessible within Pakistan.

It's important to note that while the ban was lifted, the initial concerns that led to the block might still be points of discussion between the platform and the authorities. However, the official access restriction was removed.

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