ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has asked Internet service providers to block more than 400,000 porn sites as part of a crackdown on "offensive content" in the Muslim-majority nation.
According to reports, the move follows a high court order this month to ban online material considered “blasphemous” in Pakistan, where pornography is illegal and considered un-Islamic.
Other websites, including Facebook and YouTube, have previously been banned as part of a government-led censorship campaign, and authorities continue to restrict thousands of online links.
But last week, Pakistan lifted the three-year-long YouTube ban, after the video sharing site uploaded the U.S.-made film "Innocence of Muslims", which depicted the Prophet Mohammed as a deviant.
Six years ago, Pakistan shut down Facebook for nearly two weeks over its hosting of allegedly blasphemous pages.
Blasphemy is a hot topic in Pakistan. The country has seen violent riots and public lynchings spurred by such content considered offensive to Islam.