Ban Facebook until it cooperates on blasphemous content: IHC

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shoukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IHC), while hearing a case on blasphemous content on Wednesday remarked that a ban on Facebook should be imposed until the social website cooperates with authorities over removing such content.

The justice further remarked that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has completely failed to address the issue and government should conduct a referendum to surface a public opinion on it.

The Attorney-General of Pakistan and other authorities including officials of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) appeared before the court in the hearing.

An official of the ISI apprised the court that some names have been put on Exit Control List (ECL) in this context.

Director FIA in his statement said that action against offenders is being taken on receiving complaints against them and FIRs are also being lodged accordingly.

The court summoned report from Secretary Interior Ministry by Monday (March 27) while adjourning the hearing session.

Earlier, Punjab Assembly had adopted a resolution against blasphemous content on social media while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had urged Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali to take effective measures to block the sacrilegious content.