85 percent of blasphemous contents removed by Facebook management, IHC told

Eighty five per cent of blasphemous contents have been removed by Facebook management, Interior Secretary Arif Khan informed Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Monday. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui conducted the hearing of the blasphemy case.
Interior Secretary Arif Khan informed the court that Facebook is blocking blasphemous contents on the social networking site, while catering the request of Pakistan. Only 15 per cent of such contents are remaining, he added. Moreover, he said that banning the social networking website in Pakistan is not a solution to the problem as people can approach the websites while using different proxies. He further informed the court that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested three suspects in connection with the case. The authorities seized mobile phones, laptops and computers from the suspects' possession and sent them for forensic examination. They said that the suspects have been arrested on the suspicion of sharing and spreading blasphemous contents via social media.
The matter has also been discussed with ambassadors of 27 Muslim countries in a session presided over by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, to devise a strategy to take up the issue at international forum, he added.
He further submitted that the government is set to resolve the issue of blasphemy being spread through social media on permanent basis. However, the director FIA informed the court that certain accused persons have been arrested against whom convincing evidence is available. However, the court is not supposed to supervise the investigation as the agency is dealing with the issue according to due process of law, he added.
The court once again directed the FIA to give details on the next hearing regarding the bloggers who had been missing a few days back and were recovered afterwards, and inquired in which specific activity they were involved in and how they managed to leave Pakistan.
The director general (IP) PTA also submitted a report containing material revealing the efforts of the PTA and acknowledged the achievement that Facebook authorities have removed profane contents from their website on PTA's appeal.
The court also asked the PTA to submit its latest findings in this regard in the form of a report. The court observed that the Ministry of Information and Technology (IT) is behaving like a silent spectator, having no mechanism to deal with the issue and no visionary approach with regard to steps to be taken in this regard. When the court asked from all the officials present there about the preventive measures taken against the war waged through social media, no satisfactory answer was received.
The top leadership of the country needs to become pro-active on the issue for raising national "firewall" enabling Pakistan to monitor Pakistan's internet traffic and all the users, the court observed. The court also sought assistance of the learned attorney general on the next date of hearing on the insertion of blasphemy and pornography in the prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and penal consequences of false accusation to blasphemy, proposed to be brought in the relevant law. Later, the court has adjourned the case till March 31.