Ban on YouTube

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

YOUTUBE has been banned in Pakistan for quite a long time. Instead of blocking the specific malicious websites, the PTCL has taken the easy way out by blocking the entire facility.

Recently, I wanted to see live Haj streaming on the Internet as this has been my routine for the last few years. I was disappointed that whichever website I visited, it was dependent on YouTube and displayed the ‘non-available’ sign.

I request that when taking such an action, both the pros and cons should be weighed. I am sure that like me, many students, researchers, and knowledge seekers are missing a great utility that has been blocked because of the malicious designs of one criminal mind and failure of our telecommunication authorities in taking the pain to selectively block the websites involved in posting blasphemous material.

DR IRFAN AHMED KHAN Karachi

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mughal

Nov 01, 2012 05:05pm

make utube available already.its a great learning tool

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Fahad Sohail

Nov 01, 2012 05:32am

Anyone who wishes to use YouTube should download the Software ?Ultrasurf?. Its only a 2Mb software. It will bypass all the firewalls. Use YouTube in Internet explorer.

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Mediworm

Nov 02, 2012 02:49pm

I agree please reopen the youtube! I am a medixal student and it was like everything to us! Now what we are doing still accessing the youtub with proxy sites! Which is a real pain!

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life

Nov 01, 2012 09:58am

I agree with the writer. I performed my first Umrah after watching two videos on youtube and i scored well in my IELTS in first attempt after watching some lessons on Youtube. People of Pakistan are sensible and religious enough to take care of their beliefs and apply self filtering over the internet contents.

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Bilal Sarwari

Nov 01, 2012 04:26pm

Live streaming of Hajj was broadcasted in many different sites like ustream.tv etc, why you dont visit them? I know youtube is on top but there are hundred of youtube competitors why not to switch to them?

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Muhammad Omer

Nov 01, 2012 06:41am

as soon as one such website or webpage is blocked, others come up to replace it. Thats why blocking youtube is a good idea, it would be unwise to take pains to block specific sites when we know all the efforts we make could be useless in the end.

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Ijaz Mir

Nov 01, 2012 06:57pm

I love U tube, latest music etc ,lot of fun,But it published video which was sensitive to the Islamic world. Pakistani took action without thinking burning their own property and destroying every thing in the path of protest.Because most of them are illiterate and are tool in the hand of corrupt politicians who wants to take millage on this issue. U tube is Multi billion dollar company thrive on advertisements, By Baning in Pakistan will not hurt them much But if all Islamic countries ban the U tube, They will agree not to air any sensitive material in feature. Pakistan should have pursued other Islamic countries to to join the Ban.Now no one dare to lift this ban.

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SaneVoice

Nov 01, 2012 05:55am

Ban on Youtube is absolutely rubbish and based upon our collective ignorance. One must not forget that youtube streamed Hajj 2011 live and there are thousands of Islamic videos available on Youtube. Youtube is a tool and shall be used by good and evil both equally. Governments has the option to block the unethical sites and hence it is suggested that Instead of banning whole youtube the Government should block the offensive sites. My kids watch poems on youtube and right now my kid is asking me to open his favorite 123 poem which I am unable to do. I demand respective authorities to unblock the site immediately.

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bilalsarwaris

Nov 02, 2012 06:56am

I have only one question, When someone use bad language against your father what you will do? And he continously do this, what will be your reactions, Instead of creating any rules and regulations to stop them, people here are encourging them ... Please stop that .. If possible block all google.com and everything that say something wrong against our Prophet S.A.W ... we can live without google without youtube, but we can not live without our Prophet S.A.W ...

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Jawaid

Nov 01, 2012 08:03am

I suggest Dr irfan to watch HAJ on Tv channels. Innocent ideas

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Fahad

Nov 01, 2012 12:56pm

Thats crazy , In India , if they block specific pages , and when you try open those specific pages it says "Video content is blocked in your country" - its crazy to block youtube ...I have learnt whole micro processor language watching youtube and course rate for this language in market was INR45000

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Kumar

Nov 01, 2012 11:09am

It is time to realize that closing U-tube will not stop it outside of Pakistan. Ideas will live on. It is better to ignore what you do not like rather than ban them. bad ideas will die out overtime.By drawing attention to bad ideas we make them more popular.

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Citizen

Nov 01, 2012 04:28am

I agree. many of us use it for education and that has been blocked. Its very unfortunate.

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Hussain Maqbool

Nov 01, 2012 03:43pm

i truly second your point of view. students and researchers have lost a big gource of learning. movie clips explain a lengthy and time consuming concept in a few minutes. i guess there is also an opportunity for a pakistani national to bring a substitute to this issue. i am confident of pakistani IT students and scholars are capable to do so. If they have a will to do!

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malik

Nov 01, 2012 03:43am

Live Haj streaming on the Internet? Never thought of that.

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