ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday took notice of news reports and ongoing propaganda on social media about filing of cases against missing bloggers.

Five online activists went missing earlier this month from different cities of the country with their whereabouts still unknown.

Relatives and supporters of Salman Haider, Waqas Goraya, Aasim Saeed, Ahmed Raza Naseer and Samar Abbas denounced on Wednesday accusations — made on social media and with police — that the missing men had committed blasphemy.

According to an interior ministry statement on Thursday, there was no truth in the cases filed against bloggers and such reports were ridiculous and non-serious.

The minister said the aim of propagation of wrong information by some elements was to complicate the matter.

Negative propaganda and propagation of wrong information was a clear proof of insensitivity of these elements, he added.

“Maybe they do not realise that this act of theirs was further increasing difficulties for the affected families.”

At this time the government was making every possible effort for the safe recovery of bloggers, he said.

The minister expressed sympathy with the families of the missing persons.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2017