Google may localise YouTube in Pakistan, says Minister

Google may localise YouTube in Pakistan - a move that may enable the users to access the video sharing website in the country, a media report said Wednesday.

YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan since 2012.

A report in the leading daily Dawn said if certain conditions of the Google management are met, YouTube will be accessible in Pakistan as YouTube.com.pk.

Anusha Rehman, the minister of state for information technology and telecommunications, said Tuesday the government has succeeded in convincing Google about the religious sensitivities of the Pakistanis.

The local search engine will also make it easier to block any blasphemous or objectionable content, she said.

However, the minister said the Google management would do so after the government met some of its conditions.

"Management of Google/YouTube has shown its willingness to localise YouTube in Pakistan provided they will not be held responsible if blasphemous content is placed and uploaded on its website," the minister told the Senate Standing Committee.

"The web service will not be held responsible for blasphemous content uploaded on its sites as that will be a personal action of the individual," she told the committee.

"The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is finalising a draft ordinance which will be processed by the ministry for enactment as law," she added.

"Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have also reached a similar arrangement with Google," the daily quoted her as saying.