Daily Times

It seems that once again the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has got carried away. The latest draconian move on the part of this body has been to issue notices to cell phone carriers to block some 1,500 words — in English and in Urdu — from all text messages. The list is extensive and most of the words are quite explicit. However, they are still words and that means they add to the vocabulary of what constitutes freedom of speech. Included in the list are other words that make no sense whatsoever: murder, gay, homosexual, Jesus Christ, hole, athlete’s foot, etc. It looks like the PTA has just stepped into adsurdsville and there is no turning back. ‘Gay’ does not have to have anything to do with sexual orientation because in its traditional sense it means to be merry. Are we really so intolerant a society now that words — just words — that denote homosexuality and other religions need to be banned? How ludicrous is this scenario?

It is evident that the mindset behind this move is the same one that was behind the attempt to ban Facebook last year. It is also evident that with each passing day, the people at the ‘helm’ of our personal freedoms are regressing at a rapid rate and are bent on taking us with them. This move is not only intolerant, it infringes upon our constitutional rights and liberties. Not only that, it is illogical — in the technical sense. So many of these words are used in innocent, everyday conversations and text messages. How are we to not use the word ‘murder’ when the need arises and how are we not to use the word ‘athlete’s foot’ in a medical situation? Now when the companies belonging to cellular companies move to block a huge load of messages, there is little doubt that the strain will be too much to bear and systems could crash. This is an ill thought out move and must be fought tooth and nail by the cellular companiesladled with the brunt of this ridiculous chore and by the public who are having their rights to free speech trampled upon.

In this context, a human rights organisation called Bytes For All (BFA) has taken urged the PTA to reconsider its mission ridiculous. A press release by BFA states that if this step is allowed to continue unhindered, it could just be the beginning of excessive monitoring and filtering, aimed at eliminating our constitutional rights. In all likelihood, BFA will move to court to resist this illogical decision by the PTA. It is unconstitutional, a mockery of our freedom of speech and another intolerant step by the powers that be. It must be resisted in every way possible. *