The Supreme Court was told on Monday that all sites of the Internet carrying the blasphemous caricatures in Pakistan have been blocked.
Attorney General for Pakistan, Makhdoom Ali Khan who appeared on behalf of Chairman, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA), informed the court that all such sites on internet coming into Pakistan cannot be seen now in Pakistan after the issuance of the order by the apex court.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan directed attorney general to submit his comments on the petition of one Maulvi Iqbal Haider seeking action against PTA and PTCL for not blocking such sites.
The apex court requested senior lawyers to assist the court in such a case, which is unique of its nature, to achieve fruitful results.
Attorney general told the court that they have given phone numbers to people through newspapers to inform them if such sites were found on Internet so that these may be blocked.
Ibrahim Sathi advocate who represented Maulvi Iqbal Haider, requested the court that cases should be registered against PTA and PTCL for not blocking such sites. He said that such sites were seen in Pakistan and were blocked by PTA after the issuance of directives by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court in its earlier hearing directed Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) and other related organisations to take necessary steps to block Internet sites publishing the blasphemous caricatures.
Two petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against the publication of blasphemous caricatures, one by Dr Muhammad Imran Uppel through Qamar Afzal advocate seeking the court's order to block such sites containing the blasphemous images while the other by Maulvi Iqbal Haider seeking action against the responsible government machinery for not blocking such sites.