*Updates on the issue.
If you live in Pakistan you probably cannot see this blog. Pakistani ISPs seem to have blocked access to all Blogspot blogs. This means that ALL blogspot blogs cannot be accessed directly. (Not just Pakistani Blogspot blogs).
From my post at Global Voices.
Over the last two days, blogspot blogs (running on Blogger) seem to be blocked in Pakistan. More bloggers are confirming this as it appears to have been blocked by all ISPs in Pakistan. Shirazi has some ways to bypass the ISPs banning access to Blogspot. Pakistani Abysmal Ramblings writes
It is a Sad day in Pakistan as our esteemed leaders have decided to further infringe on our rights to freedom. It has come to my attention that all ISPs in Pakistan are blocking all blogger blogsites. Previously some sites deemed inapropraite were blocked, but this is utter nonsense, why do a blanket blocking of blogger, are you so scared of people power that you feel a blogsite can be so harmful to you and your power.
KO is hosting a discussion on one of the forums. Metroblogging Lahore has links to some proxy sites that allow access and states that one of the ISPs still allows access to Blogspot. It is unclear why Blogspot Blogs have been singled out or blocked. A large number of Pakistani bloggers blog on Blogspot blogs. It’s a possibility that the recent Danish cartoons controversy may have contributed to this decision by the Pakistan Government. However, the Pakistani Government doesn’t seem to have made any official announcement on this issue as there is no Mainstream Media report on this.
Meanwhile some of the ways you can access blogspot blogs if you are in Pakistan are to go to this site which allows direct access to blogger even if your ISP blocks it, or use an open proxy like this. Access to Blogger even if your ISP blocks it through this link (http://www.blogger.com.nyud.net:8090) works because of the Coral Content Distribution Network.
*Update – I can see that I have a few visitors from Pakistan on my blog right now. Site Meter has that to say anyway. Apparently someone is googling for some pictures. Nice. :) But if I can see a Pakistani IP, it means they are not accessing it through proxy right? (Am no Techie. Help me out someone!)
Update 2 – Dawn, the Pakistani Newspaper has a story on March 2 on “Blasphemous websites be blocked, orders SC“.
It issued notices to Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan, Chairmen of the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for March 13.
The federal government, Ministry of Telecommunication, Pemra, PTA, Yahoo Incorporation USA and I & I Co, the host of blasphemous site, have been cited as respondents in the petition.
Update 3 – Any thoughts on why there is very little reporting in the Pakistani MSM on Bush’s visit to Pakistan? Is this part of a larger media blackout because of Bush’s visit? Are blogs being blocked because they are not going to comply with requests of silence? So is Dubya afterall responsible for people not being able to access blogspot blogs in Pakistan? Perhaps we’ll know when Bush leaves Pakistan.
Thanks for pointing this out.Have just emailed my friend and blog reader in Pak.
As you said Danish cartoon controversy can be one of the reasons for blocking blogger. May be the government there is not willing to take any chance during Bush visit. The Karachi blast has already made the situation volatile.
this is madness – one person gets so important that all things against him get blocked.. india atleast didn’t do anything to curb those protests..
wont feeds work too? n if no – please help them by those anon sites – vtunnel.com or kproxy.com
Greensatya: I do doubt that this has anything to do with Bush’s visit. The anti-Bush visit protest in Pakistan doesn’t have much of an online presence. It might be used an excuse though.
It could be part of a larger design don’t you think? Censorship etc.? And the government hasn’t released any statement. They’re probably making ISPs partners to the whole censorship drive. Wait and watch I guess.
Prasoon: I don’t think the Indian Government understand the concept of eadvocacy in the first place. But in absolute terms for at least a fraction of the population – India is definitely more democratic and allows protests.
My source confirmed that my site was still inaccessible. Could not view it through Worldcall and Multinet ISPs in Karachi.
This is very strange indeed.
This is something crazy! By the way the word is out that you’ll be visiting Delhi, I read on Shivam’s that there is a blooger’s meet planned in Delhi. That’s quite a welcome back, have fun.
N,
Strictly OT, but their Attorney General’s name is makhDOOM Khan. MakhDOOM.
I dare you to show me another public official with a better name.
Pakistan is blocking blogs because some of the whole cartoon issue.. i think they probably just took out *.blogspot.com instead of going through and blocking individual blogs, which they should have done.. here’s a BBC article about it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4771846.stm
Copy to Secretary General of OIC
Dear Dr Kareem,
OIC is useless, OIC must change its name and call itself Organization of sleeping Islamic countries, Most of Arabic and muslim countries are rule by corrupt monarch and military like Pakistan, Algeria and others
Western countries are ganging up on Arabs and Muslim countries, thousands of iraqis and muslims are getting killed every year in Iraq, kashmir, checynia, palestine and other places and instead of taking some solid action on ground, most of Arab countries are using Petro Dollar and now may be Petro Euro, they sell all petrol in American dollars and making their curency and economy strong, Why not launch single Islamic dollar/dinar currency
Iran is moving from petro dollar to petro Euro, why not OIC launch a Islamic currency, which will be use in Saudi Arab, iran and other Arab muslim countries
OIC is so weak that they are not able to launch their own currency, It is time that they wake up and progress like western countries, time wait for none
We and billions of muslims appeal the secratary General of OIC to launch Islamic currency, we are tired of your inefficency and it is time for a change, Islamic currency will be the first step towards self reliance, Saudi Arab and Kuwait as a important member of OIC and the reason of bringing havoc and destruction to Iraq, must take a lead to launch a petro Islamic dollar/dinar
We hope that OIC will surely take some necessary actions and steps towards this
Thankyou and hoping for a change,
Canadian Muslim Students
dubya has less than 2 days to go, once he’s off and if blogger.com has still not been unblocked, we can rule that the block had anything to do with his visit. ;-)
Secondly you can’t just block some blogspot.com url’s without the entire domain getting blocked.
think about it:
1) our blog addresses are subdomains on blogger.com’s main url – blogspot.com
2) so any subdomain which is blocked on blogspot.com means the entire domain is off limits as well
3) Our friends at PTA might not be smart enough to know how this works… but what strikes me a appaling is that they blobked the IP as well in order to stop the publishing of content…
yo best chance around this whole fiasco is appending the url to blogger.com.nuyd.net:8080/
which allows you to access you blog, login and publish and comment.
Try http://www.hideu.net
Hideu is a free web-based anonymous proxy service, which allows anyone to surf the web with privacy and security. There is no software to install, and it is completely free! By using HIDEU, you can surf websites but hackers or website owners cannot identify or track you. The service hides your IP address, and it prevents monitoring of your network traffic.