Nawaz Sharif orders action against blasphemous social media content

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today ordered authorities to take immediate action against 'blasphemous' content on the social media and remove sacrilegious contents and punish the perpetrators, days after a high court order.

"Those behind this heinous crime should be dealt with, without any delay," Sharif ordered Federal Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan.

"The blasphemous content on social media is a nefarious conspiracy to hurt the religious sentiments of entire Muslim ummah (community)," he was quoted as saying.

He also ordered to take necessary actions in accordance with the judicial guidelines issued by the court.

"Those responsible for blasphemy should be traced and punished according to the law," he said.

The Islamabad High Court judge Shuakat Siddiqui last week directed the interior ministry to take actions against Facebook pages with alleged anti-Islam material.

Sharif also said that accountability of those who misuse the blasphemy law for their personal interests should be ensured.

He also asked the relevant departments to approach international social media platforms to put the blasphemous content off the internet.

Blasphemy is very sensitive issue in Pakistan and those accused of it become an easy target for extremists.

Former governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, was killed by his police guard for criticising the blasphemy laws which were introduced in 1980s by military ruler Ziaul Haq.