LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on a petition seeking ban on Facebook, an international social networking website, in the country for holding a blasphemous competition of drawing caricatures of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry issued notice for Wednesday (today) on the petition filed by Ch Zulfikar advocate of Islamic Lawyers Forum.

The petitioner-lawyer submitted that on the Facebook a competition was announced on April 20 last, which would continue till May 20.

He said in the competition the members of the website were invited to draw caricatures of the Holy Prophet.

He said Article 2-A of the Constitution restricted any practice against the religion in the country. He said the website having various features against the injunctions of Islam had already been banned in various Islamic countries.

He pointed out that China, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Saudi Arabia had already imposed a ban on the website.

The lawyer said the PTA had already blocked various blasphemous and contemptuous websites in the country but was reluctant to ban Facebook.

He sought directions for PTA to put an immediate ban on the use of Facebook in Pakistan.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/19/2010