Telecom subscribers in Pakistan have received text messages from the government warning them against sharing or uploading “blasphemous” content online, AFP reported on Wednesday. The message was forwarded by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which also posted the same in Urdu on its website.
“Uploading and sharing of blasphemous content on the Internet is a punishable offence under the law. Such content should be reported on info@pta.gov.pk for legal action,” read the SMS sent by the PTA.
An official of the PTA said they were acting on a court order.
The government’s move would encourage hardliners to curb freedom of speech and expression in the country, activists felt. It would also see a rise in incidents of violence against liberal thought, like the one in which 23-year-old university student Mashal Khan was killed by his fellow students in April. “This mass messaging will only further fuel hatred among different sects and segments of the society. It is a very very bad move,” digital rights activist Shahzad Ahmad told AFP.
Earlier this month, violent protests had erupted in Balochistan after a Hindu man allegedly shared objectionable posts on WhatsApp. Blasphemy in Pakistan carries a death penalty and has been a sensitive subject in the country.
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