The Punjab government on Friday established a dedicated Digital Media Cell in the Home Department to monitor and curb the spread of sectarian, violent and hate-related content on social media during Muharram-ul-Haram, as part of enhanced security measures aimed at maintaining law and order and promoting interfaith harmony across the province.
The Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman visited the-newly established facility and reviewed the live cyber patrolling system.
During the visit, he said maintaining peace during Muharram was a collective national responsibility and directed the authorities to ensure immediate legal action against individuals and social media accounts involved in spreading religious hatred or provocative content.
He stressed that there should be no delay in initiating action against those attempting to incite sectarian tensions online.
Secretary Home Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi briefed the Chief Secretary on the province’s security and cyber monitoring arrangements for Muharram.
He mentioned that comprehensive security arrangements had been made for 37,868 religious gatherings (Majalis) and 9,412 processions across Punjab.
According to the briefing, more than 125,000 policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order during Muharram.
In support of the police, 61 companies of the Pakistan Army and 76 companies of Rangers have also been stationed in various districts.
The Secretary Home said authorities had so far reported more than 16,000 objectionable social media accounts to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for blocking over content linked to sectarian hatred and public disorder.
He further stated that, as part of preventive measures, movement restrictions had been imposed on 1,418 individuals identified as provocative speakers, while speaking bans had been enforced on 794 others.
In addition, 2505 individuals placed on the Fourth Schedule are being closely monitored to ensure public safety.
Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said that the Home Department’s Digital Media Cell was operating round the clock and had activated a system for real-time reporting and legal action against objectionable online content.
He also appealed to the public to support the authorities by promptly reporting any sectarian, hateful or inflammatory material circulating on social media through the Home Department’s dedicated WhatsApp numbers 0307-3087777 and 0307-3097777,enabling timely action to preserve peace during Muharram.