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SC moved to block ‘blasphemous’ websites

ISLAMABAD: A constitutional petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking orders to block all material “defamatory and blasphemous” against Islam on the Internet and other communication services.

The petition has specifically asked the court to order the Telecommunication Ministry and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to stop internet service providers from publishing, transmitting and advertising any site showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to subscribers in Pakistan. The petition has been filed by Dr Muhammad Imran Uppal, and the federation of Pakistan, the Ministry of Telecommunication, PEMRA, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Yahoo Incorporation USA and 1&1 Co, the web host of the site www.muhammad.cartoon.com, have been made respondents.

The petitioner has also asked the court to declare illustrations of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) “an act of religious discrimination, offensive and immoral, bringing unrest in Pakistan and against the fundamental rights of the citizens of Pakistan”. The petition asked the court to order 1&1.com to remove the cartoons from sites that it hosts. It also demanded that the government be directed to suspend licences of all broadband transmission companies providing Internet services in spite of the presence of the cartoons on the web.

PEMRA and the PTA should be ordered “to restrict the viewing of offensive material on the Internet” through internet service providers until the case is decided, the petition said. About the jurisdiction of the apex court to prosecute a US-based company, the petition said that the French Supreme Court had prosecuted Yahoo for publishing offensive material on the grounds that it had caused disturbances in France. The decision was upheld by the US Supreme Court, the petition said. muhammad kamran

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