It was just months ago that Pakistan’s emergency government shut down outlets of traditional media — TV channels, newspapers, magazines, but only few internet resources — in hopes of controlling a brewing public opinion that the government needed to be checked. In a more recent crack down, they appear to have gotten the memo about Web 2.0.

Today, the Pakistani Telecommunications Authority forced all internet service providers in the country to block access to YouTube.com indefinitely because of the recent posting of blasphemous content that might offend strict Muslims.

Several reports cited the anti-Islamic and “viral” nature of some content as the motivation behind the mandate. Purportedly, users had become increasingly upset by the resurgence of the incendiary Danish Mohammad cartoons, as well as a Dutch legislator’s exclusive movie promising to smoke out the infiltration of Muslim values in Dutch culture.

But it was unclear whether the government response was meant to appease citizens threatening public backlash or whether it was taking ation to preempt the deterioration of their faith. There were, of course, no illuminating user-generated opinions broadcast on YouTube.

• BBC - Pakistan Blocks YouTube Website
• YouTube - Mohammad Cartoons