ISLAMABAD: Local NGO Bolo Bhi filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court challenging the legality of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Evaluation of Websites (IMCEW), with the aim of having it struck down and declared unconstitutional.

The shadowy body set up in 2006 operates under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MOITT). It is responsible for all official decisions taken to block online content in Pakistan.

“The workings of the committee have been non-transparent and dubious, to say the least, in its eight years of existence. There is no public record of its members, meetings or directives,” said a press release issued by Bolo Bhi, an organisation that advocates digital security and privacy.

The organisation claims that the IMCEW is prone to political hijacking and pressure, and has been censoring 'undesirable content' to meet its personal agenda.

A recent transparency report by Facebook also revealed that 1,773 pieces of content was restricted by Facebook in compliance with the government requests, not only on the grounds of blasphemy but also for ‘criticism of the state.’

“There is no law in Pakistan that declares criticism of the government illegal in Pakistan. And interpreting what constitutes criticism of the state does not fall within the ambit of the IMCEW, PTA or anybody in Pakistan for that matter,” said the press release.

BoloBhi's petition follows after the release of the organisation's extensive "State of IT Governance in Pakistan" report that looked at the issue of online censorship as well.