• Hundreds of hate-spewing Facebook pages and YouTube videos still online

Despite last month’s strict orders by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding removal of blasphemous content from social media platforms, especially Facebook, in the wake of missing bloggers saga and registration of FIRs against those responsible, a number of websites, pages, groups and videos spewing ethnic and sectarian hate speech are still running without any action from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

While hundreds of profiles and pages indulge exclusively in hate speech via popular social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube where posts and videos denouncing Shias as kafirs, Ahmedis as Wajib-ul-Qatl — to name a few— are free to operate; on the other hand, pages critical of political leadership or having satirical content are regularly blocked and permanently removed.As previously reported by this paper, ‘Sarcasmistan’-a popular entertainment page on Facebook with around a million likes was suspended overnight without any notice. The page followed the similar fate of satirical website Khabaristan Times which was taken out by the PTA this January.

As previously reported by this paper, ‘Sarcasmistan’-a popular entertainment page on Facebook with around a million likes was suspended overnight without any notice. The page followed the similar fate of satirical website Khabaristan Times which was taken out by the PTA this January.

‘We’ve made a page on facebook titled ‘Tehreek-e-Chanali’ to convey our voices, concerns and demands to our MNA Murtaza Javaid Abbasi of PML-N from NA-18, who is also deputy speaker National Assembly, and MPA Sardar Idrees of the PTI. Our page had thousands of likes, and admins made sure that no one used foul, indecent language. But last week, our page was removed from Facebook without any notice at all,’ said Malik Israr, a resident of Abbottabad while talking to Pakistan Today.

Malik Kamran and Chaudhary Aftab, also residents of Abbottabad seconded Israr and said that they were holding their elected representatives to account. ‘Ours is a simple slogan, ‘Road do, Vote lo’ (Give us the road, get our vote) but despite various promises, our town hasn’t got a proper road till to date,’ said Kamran.

Both Kamran and Aftab made a new page by the same name immediately after their previous page was blocked and have managed to bag more than 700 likes in last 4 days.

When contacted, Khurram Mehran, the spokesperson for the PTA said that all the blocking of websites, pages and other content is being done on the direction of the courts. “At present, we are focusing on the blasphemous and anti-religion content. All other blocking is complaint-based: if anyone finds such content he can file a complaint with the PTA and we will review it,’ he said.

Mehran said the thing to understand is that many social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, are not based in Pakistan. “When we get a request or a complaint about pages that have objectionable material, we forward it to them for blocking. Then they remove the content in accordance with their rules and regulations,” he said, adding that it is an impossible task to regulate billions and billions of pages.

“We should keep one thing in mind that what is practically possible and what is not. Youtube remained banned in Pakistan because it was not possible to close individual links over and over again,” he said.