The government on Wednesday decided to consult Islamic countries on sacrilegious and blasphemous contents being circulated on social media and called a meeting of ambassadors of Islamic countries on Friday (tomorrow) to evolve a joint strategy regarding the issue. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while addressing a press conference said that he has called a meeting of ambassadors of all Muslim countries to discuss the issue of blasphemous contents posted on social media.
He said a strong message will be sent to foreign companies if entire Muslim Ummah stands united against this serious challenge. Nisar said he will share information with the ambassadors which was shared with the Ministry of Interior and court, and asked the envoys to inform their respective countries about the agenda of the meeting.
He also said that following the approval of Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs will raise this issue at the forum of Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC). Nisar said that Facebook management has agreed to send a delegation to address reservations of Pakistan regarding blasphemous contents as well as to address the issue. However, he said, "We will take stern action and will go to any extent if issue related to blasphemous contents is not resolved."
He said that all hell breaks loose in the West when someone challenges the Holocaust. About Pakistan Super League (PSL) spot-fixing scandal, he said that reports of friction between the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are not true. Currently, FIA and PCB need to work jointly on the matter and he has also talked to Chairman PSL Najam Sethi in this regard, he added. Nisar also said that FIA will complete investigation into the case and the agency does not need to get permission from any institution.
He said that now PCB and FIA would hold a joint meeting and devise a strategy. The FIA investigation has so far not ascertained how massive the spot-fixing scandal is or how many individuals are involved, he further said. He said the agency has only recorded the initial statements of some players. He also said that the base for such activities is outside the country and the network involved is vast, hence pressure will be maintained and the investigation will continue. The minister also said, "We will also ask for international assistance in this case."
The interior minister said that high-ups of Islamabad police have submitted a written request, showing their inability to provide security to courts after a lawyer thrashed a policeman inside the court. He said he asked police to continue security of courts as no compromise can be made on the security of judiciary. He said he has constituted a committee to resolve the matter.
Nisar said, "the country will be on the right track if we all start self-accountability. The politicians should make a fellow politician accountable, a judge should make a fellow judge accountable and so on and so forth." To a question regarding Sharjeel Memon, former PPPP provincial information minister, he said if Memon is not involved in any corruption then why he stayed abroad for two years. "He [Memon] levels allegations against me but he is not proving his innocence," he said.
To another question, he said the PPPP had appointed its worker as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman while the present chairman was appointed with the consultation of the opposition party. About Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah's statement against federal institutions including NAB, he said that no province is the property of any chief minister and he cannot let any institution work and stop the other.