TWITTER'S PAKISTANI TWANGS

ISLAMABAD / PAKISTAN : Micro-blogging website Twitter, a platform that has in recent years became integral to political parties, stands in danger of being banned because of the government's inability -

To force the tech giant to bend to its notions what is suitable for public consumption or falls within the constitutional realm of legitimate free speech.

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority [PTA] informed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat that -

While Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms complied with requests from the government to block objectionable content, Twitter did not oblige.

''Out of a hundred requests from Pakistan to block certain offensive material, roughly five percent are entertained. Twitter ignores all the remaining request,'' Director General of PTA's Internet Policy and Web Analysis, Nisar Ahmed told the committee. 

The committee met for briefing on penalties fixed by the PTA against 'derogatory' comments spreading through social media targeting the state, its citizens and its institutions.

But in the same context, when the incoming government's information secretary Fawad Chaudhry was contacted, and  he said,  his party was against any kind of censorship on free media.

''Those who do not wish to see objectionable and offensive content should not search for such content.

Social media is not just for recreation and entertainment. There are jobs and households associated with the business. Blocking social media websites will have both social and economic impacts,'' said Mr. Chaudhry.