LHC informed Hate stuff on website can’t be fully blocked
LAHORE: The Telecom (wireless) director on Monday informed the Lahore High Court that a globally useful website containing offensive/hateful material could not be blocked completely, but the link of objectionable stuff could be deleted from the website.
Director Mudassar Husain informed this in a written reply filed in the court of Chief Justice Khwaja Sharif in response to a writ petition of PML-Q MPA Moonis Elahi seeking a permanent ban on the access to “Google Blogger” for showing alleged hatred material against him.
He said: “As part of a government policy, in view of the valuable utility of the major global platforms/websites, they are not blocked en-masse rather only objectionable links.”
He said this policy had also been endorsed by the Lahore High Court in a recent injunctive order of blockade of “Facebook”, a much popular social networking website, for showing blasphemous stuff.
Blockade of useful websites like Google, Hotmail and Yahoo was not in order as it shall be against the spirit of earlier decisions of the LHC as well as the federal cabinet, he said.
He pointed out that in order to evaluate and restrict offensive content on internet, an inter-ministerial committee had been formed by the prime minister which was an effective administrative forum for bringing cases relating to websites.
Mr Husain suggested that the petitioner should approach the said forum to get a remedy for his grievance and requested the court to dispose of the petition.
The chief justice, however, adjourned the hearing till Tuesday (today) because deputy attorney general Tanvir Hashmi sought time to go through the report and to file his submissions on the matter.
Moonis Elahi through his counsel, Javed Iqbal Raja, prayed that the authorities be directed to block the access to “Google Blogger” in Pakistan and the owner of this website be directed to respect and honour international conventions granting fundamental rights of every citizen.
DIRECTIVE: LHC Chief Justice Khwaja Sharif on Monday taking a suo motu notice directed the Multan regional police officer to file a report about torture of labourers by an influential farmer.
Khadim, Ashique and Mushtaq along with their children harvested the crops of farmer Qaisar Mushtaq Raun in Khanwali locality of Qadirpur Raun, Multan. When the labourers demanded wages, the farmer got infuriated and subjected them to torture.
A son of farmer Raun fractured hand of Ashique. Khadim was injured by a fire shot and the third labourer too sustained injuries.
According to Khadim, the local police were present at the spot and watched the incident as a silent spectator.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/16/2010
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