A Pakistani court Monday prearranged the establishment to restore access to Facebook, nearly two weeks after the popular social networking site was blocked nationwide in a row over profanity.
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry in Lahore High Court has given directives to reverse a May 19 order on the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block the Facebook of "profane" cartoons of Prophet Mohammed on the spot.
"Restore Facebook. We do not want to block access to in order," Chaudhry told the court.
A competition organized by a Facebook user urged people to draw the Prophet Mohammed to promote "free speech" caused a great blacklash in the conservative Muslim country of 170 million.
Islam strictly forbids depiction of the prophet as blasphemous and even moderate Muslims were deeply offended by the drawings that were displayed on a Facebook page in response to the obligation of an "All Day Draw Mohammed".
A group of Islamic jurists petition Lahore court had ordered Facebook blocked until 31 May, PTA, and then banned YouTube and limited access to other sites, including Wikipedia.
Chaudhry Monday asked the government to develop a system to block access to "profane" content on the Internet, which he said was already in place in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
"It is government's job to take care of such things as spark anger among the people and bring them on the street. They should take measures to prevent any foul language on the Internet," said Chaudhry.
The court adjourned to Monday, June 15 appeals from the Islamic jurists.
Mudassir Hussain, an official from the Information Ministry, told the court that all links to the "blasphemous" content on the Internet would remain blocked in Pakistan.
Pakistan last week again access to YouTube - which, together with Facebook is up 25 percent of Internet traffic in Pakistan - but 1200 pages "wicked" happy was blocked by Thursday.
Islamic activists and students took to the streets, shouting "Death to Facebook" and burned American flags, air rage on the "All Day Draw Mohammed".
But even caricatures universally destined in Pakistan, criticized the Internet-savvy urban elites in general ban on websites.
It's About 2.5 million Facebook users in Pakistan and demonstration of the argument does not spread to other Muslim countries.
Pakistan also briefly banned YouTube in February 2008 in a similar protest against the "blasphemous" cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
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