Blasphemy on social media to be blocked: Nisar

Questions West’s double standards towards holocaust and the Prophet (PBUH); says no compromise on blasphemy and terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday said the government will leave no stone unturned to effectively block blasphemous content on the Internet, especially on the social media websites.

"We will go to any length even if we have to go to the extent of permanently blocking all such social media websites if they refuse to cooperate,” he said while chairing a meeting here. Chairman PTA, Secretary Interior, Advocate General and senior officials of FIA and Ministry of Interior attended the meeting.

Nisar said no blasphemous material would be allowed to be propagated through the social media that hurts religious sentiments of the people of Pakistan. “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 minister said blasphemy and terrorism were two major sensitivities and the state will not compromise on these issues. The minister observed that the international community must realise that hurting any religion through any channel was intolerable.

He directed the 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 to blocking of such material i.e. websites, Facebook pages and simultaneously to ensure that such content is not uploaded with any other name.

He asked the chairman PTA to convey to the social media operators in no uncertain terms that the Government of Pakistan will be forced to block all such social media websites which refused to cooperate.

The minister said there was a need to develop local solutions and softwares for detection of such material on the Internet. He 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 on the airing of a false photograph of senior most personality of superior judiciary. Elaborating, he said no country could allow its religious sentiments being blatantly hurt and its important state functionaries subjected to ridicule and distorted under the pretext of freedom of expression. The minister also questioned West's double standards. "Why are there two different sets of rules governing denial of holocaust and blasphemy against the Prophet of Islam (PBUH)?"