Pakistan: Man arrested for sharing blasphemous content on Facebook

A young man in Pakistan's Punjab Province has been arrested for sharing blasphemous content on Facebook, as the government launched a crackdown on the spread of such content on social media. Authorities yesterday arrested Raza Kharal in Toba Tek Singh district of Pakistan's Punjab province, about 200 kilometres from here, for sharing blasphemous content on Facebook. A blasphemy case was registered against Kharal for sharing material containing objectionable language on his Facebook wall, a police official said. He said the police had taken action on the complaint of local cleric Maulana Salim. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been requested to remove all objectionable and blasphemous material from the Facebook and other social media. "We have also requested the Federal Investigation Agency to take action against those spreading hate material through social media," Sanuallah said. This comes after Pakistan government ordered strict action against anyone propagating religious sectarianism through social media or mobile phones in the wake of a series of recent sectarian clashes in the country. The army was called in to take control of Rawalpindi city and curfew was imposed on Friday after ten people were killed and 44 others injured in clashes that started when a Shia procession was passing through Raja Bazar. The Shias were observing Ashura, which commemorates the death of Prophet Mohammed's grandson. Following the incident, sectarian clashes have spread in other districts too and tension still prevails in districts like Multan, Bahwalpur, Hangu and Kohat. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has appealed to the people not to believe on rumours as there has been not veracity in them. Some people also shared unverified video on Facebook claiming that three youngsters were found slaughtered at a worship place. "Such material and videos are triggering sectarian violence in the county which can not be tolerated. We will not allow the misuse of the social media," the law minister warned.