Govt. launches campaign against offensive emails, SMSs

The government has started taking measures to curb propaganda against political leadership of the country by launching campaign against spreading blasphemous and provoking comments against them via email or short messaging service (SMS). Ministry of Interior issued a notice in this regard directing Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to watch the elements spreading the material against political leadership of the country and armed forces as well. In the notice, the ministry directed officials concerned to keep a vigilant eye and detect the people who use SMS and emails to spread the data containing offensive material against political figures. Also, it has been directed to officials to log cases against such elements as per the cyber crime law. Reportedly, emails from abroad and within the country will be checked besides monitoring SMSs in coordination with cellular phone companies and according to the directives issued by the ministry of Interior; the channel of Interpol would be used to arrest the culprits in abroad. However, the ministry has not pointed out any country or person in the notice, but said that there were some elements behind it. Branding it as an act of propaganda against the democratic leadership of the country the ministry said to take stern action would be taken against certain elements. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that one person has been arrested from Azad Kashmir in this case.