Pakistan orders removal of blasphemous content from social networks

Islamabad, March 15 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered all blasphemous content against the Prophet Muhammad to be removed from social network sites and their authors be found and tried under the country's anti-blasphemy laws.

Sharif on Tuesday "directed the authorities to remove the blasphemous content from social media and to take measures to ensure that any such content is not posted in future," Efe news cited a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Press wing.

Sharif also asked the authorities to find everyone responsible for posting the allegedly blasphemous content and bring them to justice, and also urged them to contact the international operators of the social networks to remove the said content.

The Prime Minister claimed that the supposedly offensive content is a "nefarious conspiracy" to hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community across the world.

Last week, Pakistan announced a campaign against the spread of blasphemous content on social networks and Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan even threatened to permanently block the sites if they did not cooperate with the authorities.

The controversial blasphemy law was established during the British period to prevent religious clashes, but its abuse became possible following amendments to the law in the 1980s by Dictator Zia ul Haq.