Pakistan imposed a ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, TikTok on October 9. The ban was a result of complaints from different segments of the society against immoral and indecent content being generated and uploaded on the application.
However, 10 days later, the ban has now been lifted by the Pakistani authorities.
The decision to reverse the ban has been made after receiving assurance from the Chinese-owned social media platform that it would manage content according to local laws.
Addressing the ban, Pakistani information minister Shibli Faraz has said that the blockade was temporary but the government needed to put in place a mechanism to ensure ‘objectionable’ content was filtered out for Pakistani viewers.
“I don’t think that the entire content on the app was inappropriate,” he said, in an interview with Arab News. “But before reopening the app, the government wants to make sure that there is a certain mechanism … that barred the objectionable content from the reach of everyone.”
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Shibli also added that he felt the government should not set moral codes for TV shows and films, but production houses themselves should keep the Muslim country’s religious and cultural norms in mind while creating content.
“No drama would be banned,” he said in the interview, if it followed “norms and standards of [the] family system in Pakistan along with religious restrictions and guidance.”
“We need films on and around the lives of historical heroes of this region, so that cinema becomes not only a source of promoting our history but also an inspiration for youth,” the minister suggested.
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