ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan’s telecom watchdog on Monday recommended that social media users posting “inappropriate content and videos” on video streaming app TikTok should be arrested.
Wildly popular among Pakistani youth, the Chinese-owned app has been shut down by authorities multiple times since last year over “indecent” content, forcing the company to pledge to moderate uploads.
Freedom of speech advocates have long criticized what they call “creeping” government censorship and control of Pakistan’s Internet and media, which authorities deny. Dating apps have been blocked and last year Pakistani regulators asked YouTube to immediately block all videos they considered “objectionable” from being accessed in the country, a demand criticized by rights campaigners.
Amir Azeem Bajwa, the chief of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), said social media in Pakistan should be controlled according to the norms and values of the society in which it operated.
“TikTok cannot stop anyone from uploading a video, therefore, the individuals frequently posting inappropriate content and videos on the site should be arrested,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.
Bajwa said the site has been blocked four times in Pakistan but “inappropriate and objectionable content” continued to be shared on the application.
PTA had recently received at least 1.1 million complaints against inappropriate content and blocked over 1.046 million reported links and websites, he said, suggesting that TikTok administrators should take satisfactory measures according to Pakistan’s terms and conditions for social media use.
The statement by the PTA chief came as hundreds of journalists camped outside Pakistan’s parliament on Monday to protest a proposed media law that seeks to create a new regulator and set up special tribunals to try media-related cases.
The protesters, which included journalists from all major Pakistani news channels and national and regional newspapers as well as from media outlets in the provinces, converged in front of parliament under the banner of a federal body for the rights of journalists, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government backs the proposed regulator, saying it is meant for the protection of journalists and to combat misinformation.
Arrest social media users posting ‘inappropriate’ TikTok content, Pakistani telecom watchdog chief says
https://arab.news/cch2z
Arrest social media users posting ‘inappropriate’ TikTok content, Pakistani telecom watchdog chief says
- The Chinese-owned video streaming app has been banned in Pakistan four times
- PTA chairman’s comments come amid journalists’ protests over proposed law to create new regulator
Pakistan touts investment potential for US businesses in tech, energy and minerals
- The country’s envoy says both sides was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation
- He describes Pakistan’s tech-savvy youth as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States said on Sunday the country offered profitable opportunities for American businesses in information technology, energy and minerals, according to an official statement.
The comments come months after the US and Pakistan reached a trade deal in July, with officials on both sides signaling interest in expanding cooperation into energy, mining, digital infrastructure and other sectors.
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the time said the aim was to move “beyond the immediate trade imperative,” adding that the two countries had “come a long way” in their broader strategic partnership.
“Pakistan presents profitable opportunities for US entrepreneurs, particularly in the fast-growing and lucrative IT, energy and minerals sectors,” Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said, according to the statement.
Sheikh made the remarks during a meeting at the embassy in Washington with a delegation from the Yale School of Management, which plans to visit Pakistan.
He said the leadership in both countries was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation and providing an investor-friendly environment for American firms looking to enter a market of more than 250 million people.
The ambassador noted Pakistan was strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, adding that it served as a vital trade corridor offering US businesses connectivity to energy-rich Central Asian states and Gulf markets.
Sheikh highlighted opportunities in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and information technology, pointing to Pakistan’s large, tech-savvy youth population as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor.
“The success of over 80 US companies already operating profitably in Pakistan bears testimony to the country’s vast economic potential,” he said.
The statement added the delegation thanked the ambassador for the briefing and said it looked forward to the embassy’s support during the visit.
