A single bench comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Wednesday asked Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit a detailed report including its latest findings with respect to blasphemous contents till Monday. Justice Siddiqui remarked that time should be given to the Facebook management and until then he insisted that "it is important to ban Facebook in Pakistan."
He observed that social media websites be removed or blocked and those posting such material be "strictly punished." Secretary interior Arif Ahmed Khan sought time from the court to submit a detailed report on the steps taken to counter the blasphemous contents and action taken against the suspects.
During the hearing, DG Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mazharul Haq Kakakhel informed the court that they have completed their inquiry and have also registered a case two days ago, while a suspected person has been arrested for sharing blasphemous contents on social media.
Moreover, a mobile phone and a laptop have been recovered from him, which have been sent to forensic officials to retrieve the data, he added. He further informed the court that the agency is keeping an eye on suspects and that the names of a few more suspected persons were also placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). He said the FIA had also expressed Pakistan's reservations on blasphemous and objectionable contents with Facebook management team. He confirmed that the social media giant had agreed to send a delegation to resolve Pakistan's concerns with the content on its website.
The DG FIA assured the court that the Facebook management is willing to help Pakistan but requires some time to look into the matter. A representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also appeared before the court and said that the intelligence agency has the capability to block blasphemous contents on social media and it can assist law enforcement agency to trace the alleged blasphemers. Subsequently, the court directed the DG FIA to include a representative of the ISI in the joint investigation team. Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar also said that the government authorities would do everything possible to take action against blasphemers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017