Pakistan shortly bans Twitter

NATIONAL – Pakistan banned access to Twitter on Sunday because of “blasphemous” material but normal service was resumed after 12 hours.

The government did not define which users or messages had motivated the ban on the micro-blogging site or why it was permitted to access again so promptly. Any representation of the Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) is viewed as un-Islamic and blasphemous by many Muslims, who make up the overwhelming bulk in Pakistan. Pakistan blocked access to Facebook in May 2010 for nearly two weeks because of users conducting a competition on drawing Mohammad. Twitter, YouTube and about 1,000 other websites were also stopped for carrying blasphemous content. The Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan said its members had been asked to block Twitter indefinitely, but no reason was provided by the government. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, an regular Twitter user, said on the website Sunday night that he had interfered and demanded the prime minister to order an end to the ban.