LHC lifts ban on Facebook

The Lahore High Court (LHC) lifted the ban on social networking website Facebook on Monday.

During today's proceedings, the court demanded guarantees that blasphemous content will not be accessible to users in Pakistan. The court observed that the act would be treated as contempt of court if it is repeated again.

Meanwhile, deputy attorney general and PTA representative assured the court it would not happen again. The court also outlined the government's responsibility in such cases.

Internet service providers (ISPs) are still responding to LHC orders to open Facebook for users.

The Lahore High Court banned Facebook on May 19 for hosting a blasphemous drawing contest and asked PTA to submit a written reply.

Menwhile, the next hearing was adjourned till June 15.

The popular social networking website was banned by the Lahore High Court after a controversy over it hosting blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Muslims across the world were offended by a Facebook page which declared May 20 a day to caricature Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Despite a growing surge of protests by Muslims, Facebook had opted not to remove the page.

The court had temporarily banned the social networking site Facebook till May 31 across the country. It had issued the order after an Islamic forum of lawyers sought ban on access to the popular social networking site for holding a contest of drawing caricatures on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The controversial page by the name “Draw Muhammad Day” had been created by a Facebook user in response to American cartoonist, Molly Noris’s protest to the decision of US television channel, Comedy Central to to cancel an episode of the popular show “South Park” over its depiction of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Noris had however disavowed having declared May 20 “Draw Muhammad Day” and had condemned the effort and issued an apology. The page was subsequently removed by the creator.