The merchants of hate may in some respects have been muzzled, but they continue to thrive in the echo chamber that is the social media.

An in-depth investigation by this paper has uncovered the extent to which banned organisations — including Sunni and Shia sectarian groups, global terrorism outfits operating in Pakistan, as well as Sindhi and Baloch separatists — and their supporters, maintain interconnected and public networks on Facebook.

Out of 64 organisations banned by the government, 41 have a presence on the platform, disseminating their ideologies through more than 700 pages and groups, aside from individual user profiles. In terms of size, the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat with 200 pages and groups is by far the largest, and that is not counting the 148 that belong or indicate allegiance to the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, an earlier iteration of the ASWJ which was banned in 2002.

These findings, particularly when seen in the context of recent developments in Pakistan, are disturbing evidence of the confusion that prevails in the state apparatus about what constitutes the real threat to this country. Given the scale of religious violence that has eviscerated Pakistani society in the past decades, such a lack of clarity is astounding.

Witness how official authorities are hounding individuals for expressing views on social media that are critical of the establishment, and how they have demonised those professing ‘secular’ opinions on such platforms. How many such individuals or progressive civil society groups have stoked hatred against other communities, murdered people on allegations of blasphemy, or pitted Pakistani against Pakistani along the lines of faith?

The state’s pursuit of red herrings and its muddled priorities leave it unable to construct a focused and consistent counter narrative that is so desperately needed to consolidate the gains made in kinetic operations. NAP was clear in its objective: there is to be no compromise on religious extremism in all its forms.

Granted, Facebook itself has admitted to the difficulty in removing offensive material from its network, but the government should be more proactive with the company on this score. The fact that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security yesterday asked for a briefing on the activities of banned groups on Facebook inspires hope that this issue may be addressed with the attention it deserves.

Aside from implementing the ban in its entirety, the state must ensure that the leaders of these groups are placed under the restrictive Fourth Schedule and their actions closely monitored. Furthermore, the rationale behind banning these 64 organisations should be explained to the people. For instance, some of these groups are not directly involved in violence, but they do advocate the overthrow of the democratic system.

The public must be trusted to understand what constitutes extremism and the seemingly innocuous paths that can lead to it.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...
Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...