Pleas against websites disposed of
LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Monday disposed of petitions seeking a ban on access to social networking websites, including Facebook, in Pakistan for showing derogatory material against Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) and the Holy Quran.
On behalf of the federal government, deputy attorney-general Naveed Inayat Malik gave an assurance that the ministries concerned were taking all steps required to block objectionable websites and stop access to anti-Islam sites in Pakistan.
He said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the ministry of science and technology were blocking all websites which possessed derogatory material. A committee consisting of representatives from different ministries was also screening websites, he added.
The chief justice directed the state counsel that the committee be bound to update LHC additional registrar (judicial) of its operations and steps taken against such objectionable websites on a regular basis.
The chief justice observed that petitioners could move the court again if the PTA and the ministry concerned failed to fulfill their responsibilities.
About an application for registration of an FIR under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code against owners of the Facebook, the chief justice held that the police must investigate the matter and then dispose of the same under the law.
Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique and the Islamic Lawyers Forum had moved the applications.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/1/2011
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