Social media users will not get carte blanche: Nisar

Defending ongoing drive against social media activists, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said government does not intend to put restrictions of social media but unbridled freedom could not be allowed.

"We all realize the importance of social media. There are rules for every institution, organization or government, but,unfortunately no such rules exist for social media," Nisarsaid while addressing a press conference.

For the last two weeks, he said, posts against national institutions had surfaced.

Some 27 social media accounts were identified for posting offensive material and six persons were interviewed, he said.

He said the persons under interrogation were even asked to bring their lawyers along with them during questioning.

"Our cultural and religiously values are under attack from a section of social media," he said,adding that the Constitution of  Pakistan, institutions and the values were under attack by a section of social media."

Nisar observed that crackdown of FIA against 'blasphemous' posts had resulted in a huge decline in offensive material being posted online.

He said the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the use of social media would be made and future generations would be protected against `trash' of social media.

Nisar said that he had given clear directions that indiscriminate action should be initiated against all those involved even if someone was from the PML-N.

"We want the social media to grow but it must come under some law or code of conduct," he added.

He reiterated that the government was not for blocking social media but it was calling for a regulated exercise of freedom of expression.

Nisar said efforts were accelerated to track Internetusers' activities online and hunt down undesirable elements.

The minister also mentioned about his detailed meeting withall representative bodies of media including APNS, CPNE and PBA.

He said the meeting's agenda revolved around evolving a consensus policy to safeguard national security interests and it was agreed to implement the recommendations of the meeting.

He said that the participants of the meeting also agreed over a code of conduct regarding the national security and further meetings would be conducted for resolving other important issues.