Pakistani Parliament lifts YouTube ban

Islamabad: Pakistan`s National Assembly Tuesday approved a resolution to lift a ban on video-sharing website Youtube, a media report said. Pakistan People Party`s Shazia Marri submitted a resolution demanding the ban be lifted which was unanimously accepted by the lower house of parliament, Dawn online reported.

Marri said the ban be lifted as the website has deleted all objectionable material in question. YouTube was first banned in Pakistan Feb 22, 2008, by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) because of the number of "non-Islamic objectionable videos". The ban was lifted Feb 26, 2008, after the website removed the objectionable content from its servers. The website was banned for the second time in a bid to contain "blasphemous" material, but the ban was lifted after removal of the contents May 27, 2010. The PTA blocked YouTube for the third time after the website did not remove the trailer the film "Innocence of Muslims", which ostensibly insulted Islam. The American-made movie triggered violent demonstrations across Pakistan which left more than 20 people dead.