LHC to hear petition seeking ban on Facebook today

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Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a petition for today (Thursday) seeking a permanent ban on social networking website Facebook for announcing it plans to hold a blasphemous contest titled, “2nd Annual Draw Muhammad Day” on May 20.
Earlier, on May 13, in a detailed judgment on identical petitions, LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chauhdry had directed the federal government to protest with the UN and Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) on the issue. The LHC CJ had observed that blasphemous material will not be tolerated on any website and the federal government will have to take all possible measures to check such activities.
The LHC CJ had also ordered the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) of parliament to keep a vigilant eye on blasphemous websites and take immediate action in case of any objectionable material concerning religion before it reaches the public at large. The petition was filed by Mohammad & Ahmad, a public interest litigation company, through its chairman, Azhar Siddique. Azhar said that due to holding of the fresh competition, the Civil Lines Police Station SHO be directed to register a case under Section 295-C and other relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the perpetrators.
The petitioners’ counsel sought directions for the federal government to stop display of all blasphemous material on Facebook and all other such websites in Pakistan. He said that the government be directed to establish a legal permanent authority to monitor such objectionable activities across the world, so that blasphemy should be banned once and for all. During the hearing, the judge observed that blasphemy in any case would not be allowed.
He said that the mischief of Facebook against Islam is still going on unabated, as it has once again announced a blasphemous contest.
The petitioners have made the federal government, Ministry of Communication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and its director and the Punjab government a party to the petition.
Azhar said that Facebook had announced the contest on the same date last year on which the LHC had directed the federal government to ban Facebook in Pakistan.
He said that the website was allowed to operate after the federal government gave assurances that no such activity will be allowed on the Internet in the future.

4 COMMENTS

  1. What is the background of the Islamic prohibition on depiction of people?

  2. I dont know why Muslims even RAISE this issue. They obviously have a problem with others, yet they dont look at their own self. Binging these issues is not going to help them much, but rather get people's attention to these things. This is becoming a big propagnda by the Muslims, to attract others and join in with the game of HATE. I think Muslims should let GO of what others are doing and try to focus on their own problems rather

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