8/11/2013 Karachi: Bolo Bhi is delighted to announce that the Internet Service Providers Association Of Pakistan (ISPAK) has joined Alliance for Access. After 12 leading civil society organizations and the Express Media Group joined the alliance, ISPAK is the first industry association to have joined the alliance.
Alliance for Access is an initiative of Bolo Bhi, a research-backed advocacy group for policy change, with the dual goals of promoting access and protecting fundamental rights, as mandated under the constitution, particularly in the digital and Internet space.
“ISPAK’s involvement is incredibly important in the alliance as they have taken a strong stance against political censorship and excessive executive actions in the past, contesting actions of state authorities which fall well beyond the ambit of the constitution,” said Farieha Aziz, Director, Bolo Bhi. Given the ad hoc and vague manner in which the internet is being governed in Pakistan, ISPs are often pressured to censor political content, criticism, dissent and whistleblowers online. In the past, leaks from them have helped substantiate forms of political censorship.
ISPAK’s joining the alliance is a welcome addition to an alliance that aims to bring together individuals and organizations to a single platform to discuss, highlight and advocate on issues related to Internet policy, governance, censorship, regulation, surveillance and digital rights.
“ISPAK has always struggled for the rights of Internet community of Pakistan and has been a front runner in raising voice against over regulations and efforts of successive Governments to control cyberspace”, said Wahaj-us-Siraj, Convener, ISPAK. The Association looks forward to be part of the alliance for betterment of online users of Pakistan.”
