Rehman seemed annoyed by use of social media these days, claiming that people use it to make fun of politicians with their edited or photoshopped images with the intent to insult them. He was talking at a media workshop organised by the JUI in Quetta on Wednesday.
The JUI-F chief’s comments came a day after the Saudi grand mufti had termed social media site Twitter as the source of “all evil.”
Rehman said that social media has diverted the youth’s attention from national issues, politics and Islamic values. “The youth is negatively influenced by social media as they are not showing care to their religious values, religious scholars and their leaders. The leaders are even being mocked.”
The JUI-F chief hastened to add that that he was not against social media but mockery of honourable leaders would not be tolerated on social media, adding that the scope of disagreement should not be expanded to the extent that limitations of civilised behavior are forgotten.
Rehamn, Chairman of Kashmir Affairs Committee of Parliament, said that journalism, politics and democracy were inextricably linked with each other and added that it is indeed a welcome move that Dr Tahirul Qadiri finally developed the feeling that the politics of sit-ins was unproductive.
“The politics of sit-ins has been buried whereas the use of social media is alienating our youth from the national, patriotic and Islamic values which is not acceptable at any cost,” he said, adding that “the sit-ins in Islamabad have inflicted irreparable losses upon the country.”
He said that the freedom of media is essential for the health of democracy in the country as there is no concept of freedom of expression in the monarchy and dictatorial set-ups. However, he lamented that their views have always been twisted and then presented on the mainstream media.
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