Pakistan will punish social media companies that fail to take action against online blasphemy, the interior minister said on Wednesday, adding that he had requested a meeting with Facebook.

Pakistan&#39;s government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week warned those posting such content would be &quot;strictly punished&quot;.

&quot;(Blasphemy) is not only a problem for Pakistan. This is an issue about the honour of every Muslim,&quot; said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is also seeking to meet ambassadors from other Muslim countries to tackle the problem.

&quot;If we do not get a response from social media, I do not care about anyone, there is nothing greater than our faith. If social media and especially international social media stays on this route then we will have to take strong action regarding social media.&quot;

He did not specify what action might be taken.

Those convicted of blasphemy can face the death penalty under Pakistani law. Right groups say the law is frequently abused in a country where Islam is a highly sensitive subject, and where even rumours of blasphemy have sparked deadly riots.

Facebook is the most popular social network in Pakistan. Khan said the company was &quot;ready to send a delegation to Pakistan&quot; and would do so once a date was agreed.

Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment. However, a report by the company on Pakistani government requests for data lists 25 pieces of content being restricted between January and June 2016.

&quot;Based on legal requests from the Pakistan Telecom Authority, we restricted access to content for allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, desecration of the national flag, and condemnation of the country&#39;s independence,&quot; reads the Facebook page on Pakistan.

According to analytics data from Facebook&#39;s website, the social media app has about 25-30 million active users in Pakistan, where internet penetration remains poor. Facebook&#39;s Instagram unit and rival Twitter are also popular.

The ruling PML-N party&#39;s tough talk against blasphemy will appeal to its conservative voter base ahead of elections likely to take place next year.

At least 65 people, including lawyers, defendants and judges, have been murdered over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media.

(Reuters)

Pakistan's government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad

Pakistan will punish social media companies that fail to take action against online blasphemy, the interior minister said on Wednesday, adding that he had requested a meeting with Facebook. Pakistan's government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week warned those posting such content would be "strictly punished". "(Blasphemy) is not only a problem for Pakistan. This is an issue about the honour of every Muslim," said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is also seeking to meet ambassadors from other Muslim countries to tackle the problem. "If we do not get a response from social media, I do not care about anyone, there is nothing greater than our faith. If social media and especially international social media stays on this route then we will have to take strong action regarding social media." He did not specify what action might be taken. Those convicted of blasphemy can face the death penalty under Pakistani law. Right groups say the law is frequently abused in a country where Islam is a highly sensitive subject, and where even rumours of blasphemy have sparked deadly riots. Facebook is the most popular social network in Pakistan. Khan said the company was "ready to send a delegation to Pakistan" and would do so once a date was agreed. Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment. However, a report by the company on Pakistani government requests for data lists 25 pieces of content being restricted between January and June 2016. "Based on legal requests from the Pakistan Telecom Authority, we restricted access to content for allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, desecration of the national flag, and condemnation of the country's independence," reads the Facebook page on Pakistan. According to analytics data from Facebook's website, the social media app has about 25-30 million active users in Pakistan, where internet penetration remains poor. Facebook's Instagram unit and rival Twitter are also popular. The ruling PML-N party's tough talk against blasphemy will appeal to its conservative voter base ahead of elections likely to take place next year. At least 65 people, including lawyers, defendants and judges, have been murdered over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media. (Reuters)

Pakistan to punish social media companies for blasphemous content

A Pakistani Christian has been held for liking and sharing a derogatory picture of the Kaaba, a building in Islam&#39;s most sacred mosque&nbsp;Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. 
 
Nabeel Chohan, who is 18 years of age and hails from Punjab province, had apparently liked and shared a denigrating picture of the Kaaba. 
 
The teenager also had the photo saved on his phone.&nbsp; 
 
One of Chohan&#39;s friends, a Muslim, told police about the incident and later filed a blasphemy case, police official Shahbaz Ahmed told AFP. 
 
&quot;A case of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims and desecrating the religious place has been lodged,&quot; Ahmed further said. 
 
Pakistan has a stringent blasphemy law in the country. As many as 1,300 people have been arrested since 1987 and court punishment ranges from a fine to death sentence. 
 
The blasphemy laws were made stricter between 1980 and 1986 under the military government of General Zia-ul-Haq. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

An 18-year-old youth was arrested for liking a disparaging picture of the Kaaba on social media

A Pakistani Christian has been held for liking and sharing a derogatory picture of the Kaaba, a building in Islam's most sacred mosque Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. Nabeel Chohan, who is 18 years of age and hails from Punjab province, had apparently liked and shared a denigrating picture of the Kaaba. The teenager also had the photo saved on his phone. One of Chohan's friends, a Muslim, told police about the incident and later filed a blasphemy case, police official Shahbaz Ahmed told AFP. "A case of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims and desecrating the religious place has been lodged," Ahmed further said. Pakistan has a stringent blasphemy law in the country. As many as 1,300 people have been arrested since 1987 and court punishment ranges from a fine to death sentence. The blasphemy laws were made stricter between 1980 and 1986 under the military government of General Zia-ul-Haq. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Pakistani Christian held for 'blasphemous' Mecca photo

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