Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shahzad Malik on Friday sought reply within four weeks from the federal government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) on a petition seeking a ban on displaying obscene material on the Internet.
The judge issued the order while hearing a petition filed by citizen Sohaib Ahmed seeking court orders for controlling display of pornographic literature and material on the Internet. Petitioner’s counsel Fahad Ahmed Siddiqui submitted that popularisation of Internet by the federal government was a welcome step, as it gave an easy excess to information. He said that obscene material and literature lured the youth, which is harmful for their mental health and it is difficult to protect youngsters from this danger.
Siddiqui said that being an Islamic state, Pakistan’s constitution laid down the principle that the federal government had to take steps to enable Muslims to live their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam. He said that it was written in the constitution that the state will take necessary steps for social justice, eradication of social evils and prevent prostitution, gambling, use of injurious drugs, printing, publication, circulation and display of obscene literature and advertisements.
The petitioner’s counsel said that fearing pornographic surfing by children and employees, parents and employers had urged the federal government to introduce filtering devices on the Internet, which deny access to pornographic sites. Siddiqui said that despite repeated concerns of the media and parents in particular, the respondents paid no heed to the issue. He said that allowing such kind of material on the Internet damaged the character of children, promoted sexual abuse and allowed prostitutes to contact their prospective clients.
He requested the court to direct the Ministry of Telecommunications to enforce a permanent ban on displaying of obscene literature and advertisements on Internet.
LHC seeks reply on obscenity on Internet
