ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday said that the government would leave no stone unturned to effectively block blasphemous content on the Internet, especially on social media websites.
“We will go to any extent even if we have to go to the extent of permanently blocking all such social media websites, if they refuse to cooperate,” the interior minister said while chairing a meeting in Islamabad which was attended by the Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Secretary Interior, Advocate General and senior officials of FIA and Ministry of Interior.
The minister said that no blasphemous material would be allowed to be propagated through social media that hurts religious sentiments of the people of Pakistan.
Nisar said that it is not the issue of Muslims living in Pakistan alone but the sentiments of entire Ummah are hurt by such madness and Muslims all across the world have serious concerns over failure of social media operators to block such blasphemous content.
The interior minister said that blasphemy and terrorism were two major sensitivities and the state will not compromise on these issues.
The minister observed that the international community must realize that hurting any religion through any channel is intolerable.
Chaudhry Nisar directed Chairman PTA to engage various foreign companies operating social media websites to convey serious reservations and concerns of the government so as to find permanent solution for blocking of such material i.e. websites, Facebook pages and simultaneously to ensure that such content is not uploaded with any other name.
The minister asked Chairman PTA to convey to social media operators in no uncertain terms that the government of Pakistan will be forced to block all such social media websites which would refuse to cooperate in this matter.
The interior minister said that there is a need to develop local solutions and softwares for detection of such material on the Internet.
Nisar said efforts must be made for putting in place a robust mechanism of deterrence as well as timely action against such web pages.
The minister particularly mentioned refusal of Facebook to cooperate in the matter of airing a false photograph of senior most personality of superior judiciary.
Elaborating, he said that no country can allow its religious sentiments being blatantly hurt and its important state functionaries subjected to ridicule and distorted under the pretext of freedom of expression.
“Why are there two different sets of rules governing holocaust and the Prophet of Islam (PBUH)?,” Nisar said.
