Google expected to appear before Pak court over YouTube ban issue

Legal representatives of Google Inc. are expected to appear before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to explain the company's position in the YouTube case.

Last year, the video-sharing website was blocked by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) over a blasphemous movie - 'Innocence of Muslims'- that angered Muslims around the world.

Fearing a violent reaction and the subsequent denial of YouTube to remove the anti-Islam film, the website was blocked on September 18, 2012 on the orders of then prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. The site was back on earlier this year but was blocked once again after a few hours, reports The Dawn.

Meanwhile, a source close to Google said that the court had directed the Ministry of Information Technology to seek a response from the internet giant on the issue. No Google representative had accepted to appear before the court nor were they summoned, the source added.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the counsel for petitioner, advocate Yasser Latif Hamdani said that the YouTube ban took away the right of Muslims to respond to scurrilous attacks on Islam and the Holy Prophet.

Meanwhile, the LHC has already begun exploring various ways in which Google, the parent organisation of YouTube, can be given Intermediary Liability Protection, so that it may be allowed to come and introduce Youtube.com.pk domain which would allow the reopening of YouTube in the country.