Islamabad: A government move to ban the use of more than 1,000 "derogatory" words in text messages has run into a wall of furious netizens.
Mirsub Ali Fazlani termed the list ridiculous. Musharraf A. Farooqi said it could be nominated for "non-fiction awards".
Wali Tirmizi wrote that the list "has made its way all over Pakistan, and kids are swearing more elaborately and frequently than ever. Well done".
Sarabjit Singh said future generations "will remain forever indebted" to Pakistani authorities "for compiling a list of the funniest cuss words in Urdu/Punjabi".
Support
Some, however, supported the ban.
Hiba Fatima said: "Hopefully, the list of banned words, if not anything, will bring about a revolution in Pakistan."
Mobile service company officials were frustrated, the Dawn reported yesterday.
"It's impossible to ask our clients to choose their words carefully. We can't stop people from using so many abbreviations, short hand words, and numerous spellings," an official said.
PTA official Mohammad Younus said the list was prepared in consultation with all stakeholders.
But the Dawn said the list "has been more likely copy-pasted from the internet and passed down to the operators".
Younus said the list was not final, and more will be added "because there is no end to slang and expletives".
Many of the words to be blocked were sexually explicit terms or swear words, according to a copy of the list.
