ISLAMABAD: Information Technology Minister Syed Aminul Haq on Thursday criticised the social networking platform Facebook for being soft towards the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) government in India and ‘biased’ against Kashmir cause.

In a statement, Mr Haq said that Facebook has different policies for India’s governing party despite the anti-Muslim policies of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“In August 2019, the accounts of Pakistani users who raised their voices for the victims of occupied Kashmir were closed down,” he said.

Mr Haq was referring to a Wall Street Journal article on Facebook’s attitude towards BJP leaders and followers on its platform.

“Even the international media has raised questions about claims of impartiality by Facebook, but they have a soft spot for the [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] and the BJP, as evidenced by the brutal and inhumane act of Narendra Modi on Aug 5, 2019, to implement Article 370 and turn the occupied Kashmir Valley into a prison,” he said.

He added that humanitarian organisations and leaders around the world reacted to the move, but when users on social media spoke out against it, Facebook immediately tagged them as “hateful” posts and suspended their accounts.

He said that Facebook’s principles seemed to have fallen prey to investments and influence by Indian employees in regional offices.

“It was a criminal silence by forgetting moral values and rules, and the same policy is observed in the case of silence on Israeli atrocities and suspension of accounts of those who speak against the violations by Israel,” he said.

He asked: “Why does Facebook’s administration dislike those who raise their voices against atrocities against Kashmiris?”

“Facebook should explain why there is a difference in its policies for Pakistani and Indian users,” Mr Haq said.

He added that the explanations by Facebook’s management were against its practices, and it had become clear that Facebook has not been neutral and would have to take practical steps to “remove this stain”.

He claimed that the discriminatory behaviour of the Facebook administration was because of India’s 250 million social media users, adding that they should keep in mind that Pakistan is becoming a vast market in the digital world and those who ignore it will be at a disadvantage in the future.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020