On Friday, February 3, 2023, Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority blocked Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects in Pakistan. The Wikimedia Foundation calls on Pakistan to restore access to Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects in the country immediately.   

The Wikimedia Foundation believes that access to knowledge is a human right. Wikipedia is the world’s largest online encyclopedia, and the main source of trusted information for millions. It’s an ever-growing record of history, and gives people from all backgrounds the opportunity to contribute to everyone’s understanding of their religion, heritage, and culture. 

In Pakistan, English Wikipedia receives more than 50 million pageviews per month, followed by Urdu and Russian Wikipedias. There is also a sizable and engaged community of editors in Pakistan that contribute historical and educational content on English Wikipedia and Sindhi​, Urdu and other Pakistani languages edition of Pakistan. A block of Wikipedia in Pakistan denies the fifth most populous nation in the world access to the largest free knowledge repository. If it continues, it will also deprive everyone access to Pakistan’s knowledge, history, and culture.

The Wikimedia Foundation does not make decisions around what content is included on Wikipedia or how that content is maintained. This is by design to ensure that articles are the result of many people coming together to determine what information should be presented on the site, resulting in richer, more neutral articles.

 

Who is affected?

A block of Wikipedia in Pakistan denies the fifth most populous nation in the world access to the largest free knowledge repository. If it continues, it will also deprive everyone access to Pakistan’s knowledge, history, and culture. Pakistani Wikimedians, and general members of public are affected.

What is at stake?

Fundamental Human Rights, Freedom of Expression, Contributions to Wikipedia in English, Sindhi, Urdu and other national languages of Pakistan and other international Wikimedia projects and Wikiloves Folklore in Pakistan 2023, the citizens and netizens of Pakistan, particularly Pakistani Wikimedians and youth of Pakistan and those neglected by traditional forms of education, of a public good, is at stake. 

Why is now the time to act? Summary and  the importance of immediate action.

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of global volunteers who writes and edit on topics or "wikis". Since it's inception in 2001, Wikipedia has grown to become the most read reference work in history and is ranked as the 5th most popular website in the world. It's a souce of tremendous knowledge and information utilized by everyone from students to academics, professionals, to general members of the public. Banning or curtailing the use of Wikipedia is to deprive the citizens of Pakistan.

PTA is really unaware of how Wikipedia works and how to remove offensive or sacrilegious content.

They should either hire local Wikimedians from Pakistan to remove any content which they perceive as an offensive or sacrilegious content or they can block certain links to the sacrilegious content, but banning the entire website is such a foolish decision by PTA and Pakistan government.

The content on Wikipedia is written neutrally by the volunteer editors. If there is any content on which someone has an objection, Wikipedia gives the facility to edit it. PTA can  may be ignorant that they don't know how to edit content on Wikipedia. If there is objectionable content in one or two articles, it can be edited or discussed on the talk page of the relevant article to resolve the issue. Or if the PTA has objection to the content of any article on Wikipedia, they should block the link of the relevant article but banning the entire Wikipedia website is a foolish decision. By banning Wikipedia and other academic projects of Wikimedia Foundation in Pakistan, PTA has violated Article 19A​ Freedom of Expression in the Constitution of Pakistan and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."