Crackdown targets hate speech and extremism on social media

ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWS ARREST OF JOURNALIST FOR DEFAMATORY POSTS

Pakistani authorities yesterday vowed to carry out a “massive” crackdown targeting hate speech and extremism on social media, as a minister said arrests have already been made.

Officials in Pakistan are frequently accused of muzzling the media and targeting individuals critical of the country’s powerful military establishment and have blocked hundreds of websites and social media accounts over the years.

Enforcement arm

Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain announced the government was setting up a new enforcement arm to regulate social media during a speech in Islamabad.

“We made some arrests last week and by the will of Allah we are launching a massive crackdown against social media users spreading hate speech and violence,” he said.

Self censorship in the South Asia nation is widely believed to be rife at traditional news outlets.

“Our problem is that digital media is overtaking formal media so it is important for us to regulate this,” Chaudhry added, saying: “Informal media is a greater problem than formal media.”

The announcement comes days after authorities arrested a journalist for allegedly posting defamatory content on social media.

And on Tuesday an opinion piece in the International New York Times criticising Pakistan’s powerful army was censored by its local publisher and replaced by a blank space.

Activists and bloggers frequently report receiving warnings from Facebook and Twitter for posting unlawful content.

Local media also complained about pressure in the run-up to a general election in July to self-censor in favour of the eventual victor, cricketerturned-prime-minister Imran Khan.

Earlier, Chaudhry said Pakistan, which used to be a tolerant nation, got trapped in a prolonged conflict in 1980, eventually resulting in the scourge of terrorism.

He said that the entire world was facing extremism and Pakistan also remained its victim, adding that the implementation of rules was the responsibility of the state and no one would be allowed to promote hatred in the country.