London: Government would go to any extent in blocking all material which damages National integrity and Islamic values. In the past, access to social media and video hosting websites such as Facebook and YouTube have been blocked as a kneejerk reaction to presence of allegedly blasphemous contents.
Governor KPK Iqbal Zafar Jhagra expressed these views in a meeting with Pakistan Press Club Uk delegation. This delegation was visiting Pakistan. Apart from Azad Kashmir and Punjab, visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also scheduled.
During KP visit the delegation met with Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra.
PML-N UK wing’s senior vice president Nasir Butt lent a helping hand for this meeting, whereas for Punjab visit, PML-N UK’s youth wing president rendered
valuable cooperation to the delegates. Gover Iqbal Zafar welcomed PPCUK members and remembered the love he got overseas from an APC in exile to his treatment there.
He was all praise for responsible reporting by Pakistani media despite all odds. He said, despite the enactment of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) last year, uncertainty prevails over how the law would be implemented in curbing dangerous material. The definitions are vague and easy to misuse. Further, the imposition and lifting of the YouTube ban makes it abundantly clear that removing specific content from social media websites hosted in foreign countries with strong freedom of speech laws is an uphill task. It cannot be taken for granted that an internationally available online platform would remove any content only because it is objectionable under Pakistani law.
Pakistani media overseas has dual responsibility to protect Nationalism as well as Islamic values while living abroad. Press Club delegation assured him to perform their duties with responsibility. Delegation was led by Mobeen Chaudhry and comprised of Arshad Rachyal, Choudhry Muhammad Ishaq, Musarrat Iqbal, Akram Abid and Farid Qureshi.
