Nisar directs PTA to prepare SOPs to tackle sacrilegious content on social media

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Wednesday directed the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to prepare a framework for regulating the use of social media and targeting blasphemous and sacrilegious content.

Chairing a high level meeting here, he directed that initial draft of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should be prepared in a week's time for further consideration.

The meeting was attended by secretary interior, chairman PTA, advocate general, chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, senior officials of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the ministry.

He also directed chairmen NADRA and PTA to review relevant laws and regulatory frameworks of neighboring democratic countries and that of the developed nations for devising a system that ensures freedom of expression while simultaneously checking unbridled misuse of social media.

The PTA was directed to consult all stakeholders including service providers, civil society, mainstream media and others, for setting guidelines, duly supported by the legal framework, to regulate use of social media for constructive purposes and nation-building process.

No attack on social media, only demand checks and balances: Nisar

Nisar discussed details of a meeting held with all representative bodies of media

The minister asked speaker National Assembly to convene a meeting of representatives of all political parties for evolving consensus for putting in place a framework to ensure that social media platforms are used in a positive manner.

He asked Foreign Office to get in touch with the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Secretary General for convening a meeting at OIC level on issue of blasphemous content on social media as per commitment given to him by the secretary general during his last visit to Pakistan.

Pakistan is willing to play host of OIC conference.

He said being a democratic government it is our obligation to ensure and protect right of every citizen for freedom of expression but that “We are equally bound by law and constitution of the country to protect our citizens and institutions from assault which is carried out through social media under garb of freedom of expression.

Nisar takes notice of criticism of army on social media

It is unacceptable to ridicule Pakistan Army or its officers under the garb of freedom of expression, said the interior minister

Chaudhry Nisar observed no conscientious person could be a silent spectator to the threat posed to our socio-cultural values and our younger generations and sometime propagated by a section of social media.

He said right to free speech goes hand in hand with the sense of responsibility and ownership.