Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A forum of ambassadors from Muslim countries on Friday unanimously decided to protect the sanctity and dignity of Islam and Holy Prophet (SAW) and said the entire Muslim Ummah was united on the issue.

The meeting, announced earlier in the week by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, was held in the federal capital and was attended by ambassadors of Muslim countries with interior minister in the chair.

The meeting had a one-point agenda and thorough discussion was held on the blasphemous content on social media. A course of action to effectively raise the voice of the Muslim world on the issue was also discussed.

During the meeting of the Muslim envoys, it was decided that a comprehensive strategy paper encompassing all legal and technical aspects would be circulated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs among ambassadors of the Muslim countries. The ambassadors would then apprise their governments in order to develop a future plan of action. A formal reference would also be sent to the secretary general of the Arab League and the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in this regard.

The matter would also be then followed up and brought to the attention of the United Nations, the participants of the meeting decided. Legal options would also be looked discussed to bring the matter to the courts of countries from where the content is generated.

“Islamic Ummah must strive together to impress upon the international community to shed off Islamophobia,” said Nisar. He added that no law permits showing disrespect or distortion of any religion.

The envoys appreciated the initiated of the interior minister for highlighting the issue and taking the lead for finding a solution on the issue of blasphemy on social media. They also agreed in principle with the strategy drawn up by the interior minister.

The Ministry of Interior also formed a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising seven members to investigate social media users who share ‘blasphemous’ content. The JIT was formed on the orders of the Islamabad High Court and will be headed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Mazharul Haq Kakakhel. Two other FIA officials as well as officials from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau are part of the group.

Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Friday arrested three individuals in connection with a case pertaining to the publishing of blasphemous content on social media being heard by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The three were presented before an anti-terrorism court and handed over to the FIA for a seven-day remand. The laptops of those arrested have also been seized for forensic analysis.