Pakistan lifts Facebook ban

The controversy over Facebook in Pakistan subsided today with the nation lifting the ban imposed on the social networking site on Monday.

The decision came about after Facebook officials apologized for a page which was seen as offensive by Muslims. Facebook also removed its contents so that the ban could go. Facebook has also told the Pakistani government that nothing like this would happen in the future.

It may be recalled that two weeks ago, Pakistan had slapped a ban on Facebook after a page on the site had called for posting images of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed. Muslims the world over believe that depictions of the prophet can be blasphemous, even if portrayed in a favorable way. Protests mounted ever since and Facebook had to apologize unconditionally and withdraw the page. Facebook tendered its apology and informed the Pakistan’s information technology ministry that all the sacrilegious material has been removed from the page.

The Facebook apology came about as a U-turn considering that it had earlier said that the contents of the “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” page did not violate Facebook’s terms. The page was put up in the first place to protest threats made by a radical Muslim group against the creators of the American TV series “South Park” for depicting Prophet Mohammed in a bear suit in one of the episodes earlier this year.

The lifting of ban has come as a relief to Facebook. On May 19, the ban had been pronounced following a ruling by one of the country’s highest courts. The apology now being tendered, the Lahore High Court reversed its ruling thereby lifting the ban. However, in the initial hours of the day the site was found restricted even after the ban as lifted. The government had to intervene and issue instructions to Internet service providers to restore access to the website as soon as possible.