James Delahunty
20 May 2012 23:51
Microblogging site blocked for several hours.
The ministry of information technology referred to "blasphemous and inflammatory content" on Twitter, while later on saying it had no plans to block the service. It was, however, inaccessible for most Internet users in Pakistan for around eight hours on Sunday.
The issue appeared to be linked to a drawing contest called "Draw Muhammad Day", in which thousands of Internet users sketch up a cartoon of Muhammad to demonstrate that their freedom of speech and expression cannot be limited by religious orders.
The PTA chairman Mohammed Yaseen told the Associated Press originally that Twitter will be blocked after it refused to remove tweets related to the competition. US-based Human Rights Watch called the ban "ill-advised, counterproductive and futile."
The same competition prompted Pakistan to block over 1,000 websites in 2010. The country has also blocked websites it considers "anti-state", and is quick to block pornographic content.