ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tele­communi­cation Authority (PTA) has launched an awareness campaign through SMS service against the uploading of blasphemous content on social media.

Through the campaign, social media users are being provided information about the issue and those users who react to such content in ignorance are being motivated not to do so.

After reports that websites containing blasphemous material are being operated in the country, the Islamabad High Court has taken up the issue.

Besides, the National Assembly’s standing committee on information technology and telecommunication, headed by retd Capt Mohammad Safdar, is also pushing the PTA to take steps to address the issue.

The message being sent by the authority to people says, “Uploading and sharing of any blasphemous content on Internet is a punishable offence under the law. Instead of taking law in hand, such content should be reported to PTA on info@pta.gov.pk for legal action.”

Director (legal) of the Ministry of Information Tech­nology, Nasir Ayaz, assured the parliamentary committee on Tuesday that steps would be taken to stop the uploading of blasphemous content on social media.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2017