Religious-based Organizations Get In Momentum Against Blasphemous Stuff On Social Media

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Nov, 2022 ) :Religious-based organizations have got in momentum against the blasphemous stuff on social media as they are using all legal forums to control this burgeoning social as well as religious menace through proper channel.

The religious organizations are also utilizing the expertise of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)'s Cyber Crime Wing to net those culprits allegedly involved in this heinous crime.

Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan Secretary General Sheraz Ahmed Farooqui, in an exclusive talk with APP, informed that the FIA had booked an accused allegedly involved in publication of indecent content against the sacred books Quran and Bible on social media on Tuesday.

The FIA had also arrested two miscreants allegedly involved in proliferation of desecration things on social media on Wednesday, he added.

He further said 62 blasphemers had been put behind the bars so far, nine of them had been awarded the capital punishment by the trial court, two of the death penalty accused's sentences had been confirmed by the high courts.

Farooqui said the accused under trial in blasphemous cases had never been granted bail by any court of law yet.

He said today, a blasphemer namely Sana Ullah had been awarded death sentence by the Anti-Terrorist Court, Peshawar - I.

He said ATC Judge Fazl Sattar Khan reserved the verdict in the following case on November 24, adding that the convicted used to share desecration material on the WhatsApp group against the sanctity and prestige of Holy Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him, Mothers of believers (Ummahaat-ul-Momineen) and the religion of islam.

Farooqui informed that there was a consortium of religious-based organizations including Namoos-e-Risalat Lawyers Forum Pakistan, Legal Thinkers Forum, Tehreek Tehfuz Namoos-e-Risalat Pakistan, World Khatm-e-Nabuwat Council, Anjuman Ashqaan-e-Muhammad, Tehfuz Khatm-e-Nabuwat Forum, Tehfuz Khatm-e-Nabuwat Wukla Forum, Legal and Cyber Experts Forum, Razakaran-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwat and Islamabad Bar Association which were pursuing the blasphemous cases till their logical conclusions.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly (NA) had passed a unanimous resolution to withdraw appeals of government from the Supreme Court to annul the Lahore Haigh Court (LHC)'s decision against the publication of blasphemous content on the social media.

The mover of resolution Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Member of the National Assembly Choudhary Faqir Ahmad, talking to this national premier news agency, informed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government of then challenged the decision in the apex court instead of implementing it in letter and spirit.

He urged the incumbent government to withdraw the appeals against the LHC's decision filed by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority in the tenure of so called Riyasat-e-Madinah.

In addition, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had reactivated its Web Evaluation Cell to control the increasing incidents of blasphemy on social media.

The ministry's spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt told APP that the people could report blasphemous material if found on social media on the official email address: reportblasphemy@mora.gov.pk, Facebook page: @mora.official or WhatsApp number: 0306 3332555.

He made it clear that hate material against the religion or sacred figures was completely banned as per law and the Constitution. "Those allegedly involved in this illegitimate activity would be taken to task as per law of the land," he added.

He said Ulema and Mashaykh of all schools of thought were making all out efforts to promote religious harmony in all sections of the society. They always discouraged non-state actors fueling propagandas against the religion and state at all public forums, he maintained.