Pakistan blocks YouTube access to controversial film

Islamabad, Sept 13: Pakistani authorities on Thursday blocked access to a clip of an anti-Islam movie that has triggered protests across the Muslim world even as hardline groups like the

announced plans to organise demonstrations against it.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked pages on YouTube and other video sharing websites that had a clip from the controversial movie. PTA officials told the media they had been directed by the Information Technology Ministry this afternoon to block the video. Action was taken to block every Internet link that features the offensive video, the officials said.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority had been directed to ban the anti-Islam movie's trailer across the country. No one would be allowed to project such hate content against the Prophet, he told reporters outside the parliament.

Despite the action taken by the government and a condemnation issued by the Foreign Ministry, hardline groups like the JuD said they would organise protests against the film after Friday prayers. A JuD spokesman said his group and the Tehrik-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool would organise a protest in Islamabad Friday afternoon.

Reports said other hardline groups too were planning protests in cities like Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. The Foreign Office on Wednesday condemned the killing of the US Ambassador in Libya during protests against the anti-Islam film but said that the movie had "deeply hurt" the feelings of Pakistanis and Muslims around the world.

PTI