The Lahore High Court (LHC) has taken a significant step by summoning theCaretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq and the caretaker Chief MinisterPunjab Mohsin Naqvi in a case concerning the dissemination of blasphemouscontent on social media. This development, places a spotlight on thegrowing concerns over online content and its compliance with existing laws.Presiding over the case, LHC judge Justice Shujaat Ali Khan expressed hisdissatisfaction with the federal government’s inaction, highlighting aneight-month delay in submitting a report.
Justice Shujaat Ali Khan’s observations during the proceedings raisedquestions about the level of attention the matter had received at thehighest levels of government. It was suggested that the issue might nothave been adequately presented before the prime minister, adding an elementof doubt regarding the government’s commitment to addressing this sensitiveissue.
Consequently, the court took decisive action, ordering both the PrimeMinister and the Chief Minister to personally appear and provideexplanations regarding their stance on the matter.
At the heart of this case lies a legal framework established in 2019,requiring that every translation of the Quran undergoes approval by adesignated board before publication. However, the case filed in 2022alleges that the necessary permissions were not obtained for thepublication of an altered translation of the Quran.
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This raises intricate legal questions surrounding religious texts, freedomof speech, and the role of regulatory bodies in monitoring and approvingsuch publications. The outcome of this case is bound to have far-reachingimplications for both legal interpretations and religious sensitivities inPakistan.
