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‘Sexting & Dirty Talk Just Got a Whole Lot More Expensive in Pakistan’ – Gov’t Mandates Increased Costs to Fight ‘Youth Vulgarity’

Dec. 8, 2012 4:30pm Mike Opelka

Could this be the end of the “booty call” in Pakistan? A recent rate change forced on consumers by Pakistan’s government-run telephone company has many people up in arms. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently told all mobile phone companies to end their low rate deals on late night calls.

What was the reason for the action?

The PTA said it was mandated by the country’s ministers who decided that late night phone calls were leading to a decline in morality among young Pakistanis. The claim is that ’youth vulgarity’ is being spread via texting and excessive talking on cell phones. A spokesperson for the government phone company told AFP:

“We have issued the directive to all the mobile telephone companies to shelve night call packages. The step was taken after lengthy discussions. These directives are issued in the light of the government decisions and this decision has also been taken by the government.”

The mobile phone companies are fighting the change. Many cellular providers have already filed challenges in Pakistan’s courts.

Twitter and Facebook are also venues where people are sharing their displeasure with the increase in prices on late night calls. Right after the news broke about the action, Pakistan’s first stand-up comedian, Sammy Shah tweeted, “Sexting and dirty talk just got a whole lot more expensive in Pakistan.”

This is hardly the first time free speech has been under assault in Pakistan. Since September, the country’s government has blocked access to YouTube over the release of the trailer for the anti-Islamic film, Innocence of Muslims. Just last year, TheBlaze reported on the country’s banning of more than 1600 words. Words like “idiot,” “headlights,” and “lotion” were among those considered to be “censorable” and subject to being blocked from text messages.

The BBC’s World Service radio covered the story from Pakistan:

(H/T: BBC)

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Comments (27)

Steel
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:50pm
Now this sounds like a pretty darn good idea to me! We ought to start these rules at the top – with Joe Biden.

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ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:17pm
Obama is silent on Marine held in Mexico on BS charges

http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/12/obama-silent-to-aid-marine-chained-to-bed-in-mexican-jail-on-trumped-up-charges/

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grickm
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:33am
As the Pakistani government will find out, it is not possible to legislate morality.

It hasn’t worked out too well here in the US either.

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term limits for congress
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:46am
Do they have obama-phones in Pahkie-ston?

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Dano.50
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:42am
Sexting has gotten to the point that it’s unstoppable kiddie porn distribution.

The other day I was listening to a guy brag about his fifteen year old son’s collection of topless pictures of his female classmates. (The kid had showed them to the dad.)

Course I had to go an open my big mouth, and the guy’s justification was, “Well there’s no head shots so nobody can tell who the girls are.”

The justification for getting kids cell phones used to be for emergencies, but enough kids have proved the downside of this technology has far outweighed the benefits.

As far as I’m kid’s shouldn’t have them.

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- Granny58
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:56am
  And I would say that’s 99% of the problem, the parents. I hear teenagers (sometimes younger) spew the F word as every other utterance out of their mouths. Even if one gets into a semantic argument and says it is not actually a “curse” word, it is still a low-class word and crude. But I actually know parents (not friends, merely in the neighborhood) who use it around their children, so what are we to expect? I think minors do not need the phones they have that do texting and photos. I have a Tracfone which is phonecalls only…for an emergency, that is enough.
  
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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 3:04am
  Looks like “dad” is O.K. with risking his son to be tagged as a sexual predator (or some such thing). The “Dad”, too, might be on the hook for that (looks like his son is acting as a collector for the father). Convictions for that sort of thing can affect a guy’s entire life. What a responsible father that kid has.
  
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TheMajority
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:00am
Notice there are no “parent values” involved with childs behavior, just government taxes.

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LameLiberals
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:08am
There is NO difference between this Islamic law charging MORE to send nasty texts than a SECULAR USA government banning large drinks or charging more for cigarettes which they frown on or a Christian government charging a single taxpayer more in income taxes because they choose not to be married or to have children? Every one of these governments is regulating behavior through cost.

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- TheMajority
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:58am
  We have a “Christian Government”? Really? Look again.
  
  There is something to be said about family, marriage, if you want to exist for long.
  Now we have a very low birth rate, along with Europe, while islamists are haveing many babies.
  
  If we have a “Christian Government” now, how many generations do you think it will take for islamists to take over. Birth rates for a lasting society—is very important,—or somebody else will take over your society.
  
  Report this comment
- Balzy
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:52am
  duh so what’s your point? We all know this and most of us are with the constituion through and through. are you against it? because if we stuck to that and only ADDED rights to it instead of giving more rights to the gov’t, we would be in the most prosperous freedom eh? We don’t have a “Christian gov’t”, we have a “control freek gov’t” what is so different about it? Go ahead and look up what control freek tyrants have done in the past when they got enough control. Only then will you know how worse it could be.
  
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USA-Ron
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 1:48am
STOP Sexting Now !!!!

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mellowlady
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:07pm
Check out this beauty. She is banned in Iran due to a risque photo shoot. She was in the movie body of lies with Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Welcome to the civilized world beautiful woman. I pray that you are not a spy.

http://eyeprime.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/golshifteh_eyeprime_89.jpg

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Keatonc33
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:06pm
Would you look at that! Pakistan and the tea party have common ground!

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- Stelex
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:24pm
  Keatonc33……In all seriousness, please explain how they are similar, and why you prefer the progressive movement over rational spending and personal accountability. You blabber on here all the time but give now reason or logic. Please enlighten us all…….
  
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- JACKTHETOAD
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 6:12am
  What, that they’ve both been screwed over? That must be what you mean. Right?
  
  Report this comment
- Balzy
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:53am
  Wow you’re such a troll, can’t you ever just make a serious comment without bashing those that you neither know nor understand? Get a life dude.
  
  Report this comment
- Balzy
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:02am
  Look maybe i’m jumping to conclusions, i’m sry if i was wrong. but what could that possibly mean? are you celebrating the fight for free speech or are you calling the tea party people weirdos? Cause we have proof that they have always been law-abiding unlike any far-left protest movement.
  
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The-Monk
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:41pm
What happens when they send dirty photos?

Hold on, I’ll call Anthony Weiner and see if he knows…..

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- DMENTED
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 6:58am
  Dirty? They were laughable, Monk. Poor twisted attack dog. I miss him so.
  
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chips1
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:29pm
%@*%*(^%#@^*&^$$#*%^@!!!! And that’s about all I have to say about that.

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freeberty
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:17pm
What? No comments when the republican theocrats and the muslim brotherhood are on the same wave length?

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- barber2
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:48pm
  Define ” Republican theocrat .” Is that like a Chicago radical Democrat atheist ?
  
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- freeberty
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:25pm
  As long as all 3 kinds stay out of my life, republican theocrats, muslim brotherhood, Chicago radical Democrat atheist, define them however you want.
  
  Report this comment
- Stelex
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:28pm
  Obviously your enjoying your legal pot. Ya know man, the whole universe is probably just an atom in some guys thumb….is red to you the same as red to me, maybe I see green grass and you see red grass….shweooooot. I mean man, what was I saying. Primo.
  
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- Stelex
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:31pm
  Mayhaps Freeberty should stay out of eveyone’s lives.
  
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- freeberty
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:16pm
  Mayhaps? What are you an eleven yr old whiny girl or just gay?
  Doesn’t matter, I’ll put it in terms you “mayhaps” might understand.
  You first
  
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