ISLAMABAD: At least four major public universities in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad and its sister city Rawalpindi do not allow students to access social media websites on campus Internet and WiFi networks.
Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), the International Islamic University (IIU), the Pir Mehr Ali Shah University of Arid Agriculture (UAA) and the Comsats Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), one of the country’s leading IT institutes, are among institutions that have blocked access to Facebook and Twitter.
A survey published in Dawn newspaper yesterday revealed that both sites have been blocked at FJWU since at least 2011, while IIU implemented a ban three months ago. The AAU introduced the measure in June while CIIT, the latest entrant to this club, blocked access in July.
Officials from the institutions claim that the sites were blocked after the administration received complaints from both students and teachers.
IIU Deputy Director, IT, Shakeel Shah said: “We blocked access to social media websites a few months ago because teachers came to us and complained that students were too preoccupied surfing the web and did not take adequate interest in lectures. They use Twitter and Facebook during university hours, which disrupts the classroom environment.”
A member of the CIIT said the institute had restricted access to social networking sites in view of complaints from young women. “They complained of harassment by young men and fellow students and accused them of posting insulting comments,” the faculty member said.
CIIT spokesperson Shahbaz Ahmed said the university had implemented the ban in early July “due to various reasons”. However, he said, the ban may be lifted soon.
A representative for FJWU said the university had restricted access to social media sites on campus servers for some years now. The decision, they said, was taken in the students’ interest, to provide them with a “safe and secure environment”.
The official admitted that despite the ban, several students continued to access Facebook and Twitter via proxy websites or on their mobile devices.
Students at the universities in question complained that their administrations were taking a regressive approach.
INTERNEWS
