Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has taken suo motu notice of blasphemous content available on the internet and has sought a report from chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) within a week.
It merits mentioning here that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is currently operating without any Chairman and the Members.
According to Express Tribune the notice by Chief Justice was taken on an application of a United Kingdom-based Pakistani, Barrister Amjad Malik, who drew the attention of apex court towards the ever-increasing blasphemous websites, which are easily accessible over internet, and are impacting the minds, the lives and liberties of mainstream Muslim population.
Malik is said to have registered the complaint through the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Malik had pleaded for necessary directions to be issued to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the Government of Pakistan and the relevant authority to ensure the blockade of objectionable material available over internet in the name of freedom of expression and take meaningful steps for the international convents to protect the name of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
In a related news, Anusha Rehman, newly appointed IT Minister yesterday said that Pakistan will approach Google for the removal of blasphemous videos from YouTube, and threatened that incompliance may result into a complete ban on Google in Pakistan.