Pak blocks 17 websites including Google

Islamabad, Jun 26: Under the strick orders of the Lahore High Court, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has asked all the Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country to put sites such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, YouTube and other 17 websites under observation as it is infringing Muslim sentiments.

However, a Ministry of Information Technology official conceded that it was impossible to monitor search engines like Google.

"There is no way to check which links and sites are accessed by users. Nonetheless, we are doing our best. Blocking search engines may be disastrous and will draw a lot of criticism," The Dawn quoted the official, as saying.

Earlier this week, the Bahawalpur Bench of the Lahore High Court had directed the government to block YouTube and eight other sites. A PTA official said that the authority would take strict action against the sites under observation if Muslim sentiments were infringed

ANI