PTA bans list of 1600 'obscene' words from text messages. SERIOUSLY ?!

    You may all have come across the news that PTA (Pakistan's Telecommunication Authority) is contemplating to enforce a law that would result in the ban of using over 1600 words that PTA has deemed obscene or vulgar.

For some this may seem as a strong move to get rid of vulgarity and crudeness, but for me it seems to be a pointless and a baseless decision that would do more harm than good.

    Not only would it will be an extremely difficult task for the local mobile service providers to implement the decision but it would also be next to impossible for the users not to use some of those fairly innocent words.

    The list contains fairly innocuous words such as glazed donut, tongue, bull, deposit, fairy, bull. 

- How on earth is one going to order from the best fast-food restaurant in Lahore - Cock n Bull ?!

- What if I feel like having a glazed donut in the middle of the night and cant text my friend to get it from Dunkin Donuts. Should I now refer it to as 'The-Donut-That-Must-Not-Be-Named' ?

- How would banks go about their daily routine of bothering us poor souls with texts that remind us we have not made bank deposits for a long time. 

- What if someone has nicknamed her daughter fairy and text her to check whether she is safe outside.. the text may not even reach her thanks to our country's amazing policies.

   PTA has ridiculed itself by releasing the list and suggesting that the words may no longer be used. For most of us 99% of the words were not even used by us and 90% of the words were never heard of before. This move has sparked reactions from the citizens of Pakistan and they wish to oppose the ban. The controversy is ongoing on twitter as well under twitter hashtag - #PTABannedList - 

   The ban may give rise to the debate of the free speech in a democratic country. If an organziation can control what we can or cannot say, who knows what they can do next.

The entire list of banned words can be found here : 

   

GOD SAVE PAKISTAN

- Abrar Salim Chohan - 

is a student at Lahore School of Economics

studying Marketing and Media Studies.

To Understand what Pakistan is??

Pakistan, a country in Southern Asia, has a rich culture and heritage. Formerly, a part of 'Hindustan', Pakistan became an independent country on August 14, 1947.. The neighboring countries of Pakistan, like Iran (in the west), Afghanistan (in the northwest) and India (in the east) also influence its culture.

Language 

Although, English is widely spoken in Pakistan, Urdu is the official language. The other languages that are spoken in Pakistan are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi, Saraiki, etc. 

Religion 

The majority of Pakistan's population are Muslims and they follow the Islamic religion in a strict fashion. They offer prayers five times everyday. Ramadan, the most important festival of the Muslims, is also considered as a sacred month. During this month, they fast from morning till sunset without drinking water and are strictly prohibited from smoking and consuming alcohol. The last day of Ramadan is Eid which is celebrated with great fervor with family and friends. 

Architecture

The architecture of Pakistan is miscellaneous, as every nation that invaded and settled in this country has left a mark on it. In ancient times, this Islamic country was a part of the Indus Valley Civilization and the architectures of Mohenjo Daro, Harappa, are considered as the heritage sites.

The invasion of the Mughal empire led to the development of Islamic architecture. The Shah Jahan Mosque of Thatta is the first building that was constructed according to the principles of Mughal architecture. One of the very important monuments that came up during this period is the Badshahi Mosque. It was built during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb, and is flanked by the magnificent Alamgiri gate. 

Later, during the time of colonization, the constructions were majorly of Indo-Western style. Today, in the post-colonial era, we can see a mixture of all these styles along with the modernized structures. 

Sports

Although, field hockey is the national game of Pakistan, cricket is a game that is followed with lot of passion. In recent times, even soccer has become popular among the people. The country also internationally represents in sports like swimming, boxing, shooting and athletics.

Art and Literature

Poetry is the most important form of literature in Pakistan. One of the most known exponent of Urdu poetry is Mirza Ghalib. He has written various poems in Urdu and Persian. His poems are still read and loved by Urdu and Hindi speaking people around the globe. 

Pakistani literature is not restricted only to Urdu poetry. There is an embodiment of works written in English, Punjabi, Sindhi and Pushto languages. Also, there are Pakistani diasporic writers around the world. 

Music is a primary interest of the Pakistanis. Qawwali, which was said to have been introduced by Amir Khusrau, is one of the most traditional forms of music that exists in Pakistan. Film, Urdu and Punjabi pop music is also popular among the people. Nowadays, it is blended with western music and this amalgamation has developed into a popular music genre. 

The most popular entertainment medium in Pakistan are the television and the radio. Pakistan's film industry is referred to as Lollywood with a production of 40 motion pictures every year. Indian movies are also popular in Pakistan, although, it has been banned by the Government of Pakistan. 

Social Culture

The Pakistanis are mostly conservative in nature. They follow a strict code of conduct. They live in a patriarchal family where the eldest male member is the head of the family. The elders are given lot of respect and their opinions are regarded with utmost importance while taking important decisions. 

Although education is considered as a very important factor among the middle class people, most Pakistani women are not given the freedom to work. But nowadays, many joint families are disintegrating into nuclear families due to the social and economic limitations that are enforced by the joint family system. 

Pakistan, is a country, that adheres to its traditional beliefs, values and customs especially in matters of religion. Although, the Pakistanis are deeply rooted in their cultural values, the nation is not lagging behind, with globalization affecting every part of the world. Westernization has embarked into the Pakistani culture which has paved the way for positive development.

Bisma amjad 

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Pakistan and its inherent elements

Islamic republic of Pakistan, commonly known as Pakistan is the thirty-sixth largest country in the world. From the Arabian Sea to the Himalayas Pakistan spreads over an area of 796095 square km. Pakistan is situated in the southern part of Asia and borders Arabian Sea in the south, India in the east, Iran and Afghanistan in the west and china in the north.

Its flag is green with a white vertical band on the left symbolising the role of the religious minorities. A large white crescent and a star are centred in the green field; the crescent, star, and the colour green are traditional symbols of Islam.

Pakistan is divided into four provinces namely Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber pakhtunkhuwa. Its capital is Islamabad while the other major cities are Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Sialkot etc.

Pakistan is the sixth most densely populated country in the world with its population being over one hundred and eighty million. It is also a host to a number of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. About six different ethnic groups live in Pakistan namely Punjabi (44.68%), Pathan (15.42%), Sindhi (14.1%), Siraiki (8.3%), Muhajirs (7.57%), Balochi (3.57%) and others (6.28%).

Pakistan is a Muslim country and therefore it is dominated by Muslims. Muslims constitute around 95% of the population while the remaining 5% consists of Hindus and Christians.  The Muslims are broadly divided into two main sects namely Shia and Sunni.

A number of languages are spoken in Pakistan such as Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, Siraiki, Pushtu, Balochi, Hindko and others. Despite Urdu being the national language, Punjabi is the most spoken language in Pakistan. About 48% of the population speaks Punjabi.

All in all Pakistan is a host to people from different ethnicity and thus has a varied cultural and ethnic background.

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zoha niazi