‘152 Facebook pages blocked for containing blasphemous contents’
ISLAMABAD: An amount of Rs18.5 billion has been allocated to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) for conducting the 6th Population Census 2017.
Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, in a written reply to a question in the National Assembly on Monday, said Rs16.6 billion had been released so far while the case for remaining amount of Rs1.9 billion was under process.
The first phase in designated districts was started on March 15, in which the operation in the first block had been successfully completed while it started in the second block on March 31. Similarly, the census operation in the districts falling in the second phase would start on April 25 and completed by May 25, he added.
The House was also informed that some 152 Facebook pages had been blocked during action against the social media sites having blasphemous contents. It was stated in a written reply by Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar to another question. The Lower House was informed that the matter had been taken up with relevant US authorities to help close down blasphemous social media platform and trace out the persons involved.
The minister said that three accused persons had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and eight persons were placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). Nisar said he held meeting with ambassadors of Muslim countries for orchestrating an effective collective response of Muslim countries against the social media platform that host blasphemous material. He said that Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent letters to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League for collective efforts. The minister said that Facebook authorities had been requested to visit Pakistan for taking speedy action against blasphemous sites.
He said a video conference was held by the interior secretary and the PTA chairman with the Facebook authorities to find out a permanent solution against the menace of blasphemy on April 7. Nisar said the PTA chairman had contacted his counterparts in brotherly Muslim countries for formulating a collective response against blasphemous sites.
He said that inter-ministerial consultation was being held for assessing the existing legal regime and providing suitable amendments to various laws and stringent legal framework for investigating and nabbing culprits.
The federal minister said that a writ petition filed against the concerned federal government ministries was disposed of by Islamabad High Court. The court appreciated the efforts on the measures taken by the government for expeditious and effective response of government team, spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior, the minister added.