Govt convenes meeting of Muslim envoys today

Moot will formulate joint strategy to raise the issue globally

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is convening today (Friday) a meeting of ambassadors of all Muslim countries in a bid to work out a joint action plan with regard to blasphemous content on social media, the interior minister announced on Wednesday.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali told journalists in Islamabad that he has invited envoys of Muslim countries to hold consultations to formulate a joint strategy to raise the issue at global forums.



“There should a be a joint plan of action of all Muslim countries on the issue to convey the sentiments of 1.2 billion Muslims and send an effective message to the service providers of social media websites,” the minister said, adding the interior ministry was playing a proactive role and the case has moved ahead with some developments.

Facebook has already showed its consent to send its delegation to Pakistan to address the issue, he said. “I will share details of the case being heard in the Islamabad High Court with the ambassadors,” he said.

The minister said with the approval of the prime minister, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Raabta Alam-e-Islami was being approached to use these platforms to address the issue.

Nisar again warned that the government would introduce tough curbs against social networking websites if their administration did not help resolve the issue. “We will not hesitate in taking any strict action,” he said.



The minister asked his opponents to not threaten him for dire consequences in case curbs were imposed on social media and said, “The government will take action if the blasphemous content is either not blocked or people do not desist from circulating it on the media.”

Over the remarks of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah that federal institutions would be sent packing from the province if they did not stop taking discriminatory measures, the minister said the statement was unconstitutional.

“The statement is serious and no responsible person can think about it.” Nisar said the PPP during its previous government had been appointing its party’s office-bearers as heads of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) but no one objected to it.

He said neither chief minister of any province could do this nor he had any power.