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Religious affairs ministry wants PTA to block offensive content on internet
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has asked the telecom regulator to block blasphemous content on social media.
In a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the ministry said pornographic and blasphemous content was still accessible online.
The ministry has learned that Pakistan was among the countries with the highest viewership of adult content, the letter said, calling the trend “alarming”.
“It also raises serious concerns regarding the adherence to the directives of the Supreme Court and [PTA] ability to effectively enforce content regulations,” the letter added.
The ministry said the effects of PTA’s proactive measures to block adult and blasphemous content in line with Supreme Court orders were not visible.
The letter said the PTA has made “significant efforts” to block adult and blasphemous content, but “the said material is still accessible online”, which “violates our cultural and religious values”.
The ministry maintained that the widespread availability of such content undermines efforts to protect citizens, particularly young people, from exposure to harmful material.
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024
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