The treasury members in the National Assembly on Wednesday demanded of the government to evolve a mechanism to check screening of obscenity in the Internet cafes.
Five legislators, including Mrs Bushra Rehman, who moved the call attention notice after the question-hour session, drew the House attention towards 'making of objectionable video in Internet café cabins.
She said that a comprehensive strategy must be evolved to stop pornographic material, shown in the cafes. "Besides, youth indulge in indecent activities in Internet cabins in cities, towns, even in villages, which is a matter of grave concern," she added.
There should be a code of conduct, Mrs Rehman asserted, adding that all the cafes be properly registered in order to regulate their functioning and their use be confined to academics.
Other co-movers, Dr Farid Paracha, Rana Asif Tauseef, Anwar Ali Cheema and Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, also called upon the government to pay attention to the functioning of the cafes.
They also objected to some of the television plays, which they believed, could not be watched with families.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Division Ali Asjad Malhi said that there was no law to promote or encourage obscenity. "The government is focusing on how to control obscenity," he remarked.
He maintained that the growth of cafes was encouraged to promote their use for education and knowledge.
However, the notice led to traditional complaints by the treasury lawmakers that despite a sizeable presence, lady legislators were not encouraged to raise their issues in the Parliament or at any other forum.
This comment evoked desk thumping by the treasury as well as opposition benches.