Removal of material: LHC again summons FIA DG, others for Dec 30

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday again summoned Federal Investigation Agency director general and others for December 30 on a petition seeking directions for removal of material about the so-called "fifth caliph of Qadianis" from the web.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Saeed Sindhu and others for the purpose.

Federal Interior Secretary, FIA DG, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority chairman and other officials appeared before the court at the start of the proceedings.

A deputy attorney general apprised the court that the FIA had mandate to take action for removing the material and the agency had registered the complaint at a forum concerned.

However, the chief justice questioned that what action FIA could take if a person disseminated blasphemous material in Pakistan from abroad.

The court observed that there should be a special wing in FIA which should check blasphemous material and remove it.

The chief justice expressed dissatisfaction over a report submitted by the FIA in the matter and questioned whether the agency could register a case against Google or not.

To which, the FIA DG submitted that he would apprise the court after consultation.

At this, the court summoned all officials along with the report on December 30 and directed them to appear at the LHC Multan bench.

The petitioners had argued that so-called "fifth caliph of Qadianis" was being shown as a caliph of Muslims on the Google search.

They requested the court to issue directions for removing the material from Google search and Wikipedia.