LAHORE Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Friday directed the government to block the social networking websites committing desecration of the Holy Prophet (SAW) by any means. The chief justice also directed the government to take measure in this regard while following the detailed judgment passed on a petition earlier moved by the Islamic Lawyers Forum. The petitioner was aggrieved of the announcement made by 'Facebook last year to hold a competition of drawing caricatures, cartoons of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in a bid to desecrate the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the petitioner pleaded for putting a permanent ban on the website throughout the country. Like last year, the website has once again announced to hold that blasphemous competition on the May 20. After hearing the petitioner, the court noted in the detailed verdict that the present was a modern and civilised era but the trend to hurt religious feelings particularly those of the Muslims was rampant and had increased manifold. The sluggish and inadequate response to counter these attempts on the part of the government raises many questions on their commitment to their duties in this regard. The court noted the authorities had failed to block the sites which were posting objectionable and blasphemous material against the Holy Prophet (SAW) until an order was passed by this court. The authorities are morally, ethically and religiously bound to take immediate steps for elimination of such material. The court said the authorities had to act on their own to check cabling of the blasphemous stuff without waiting anyone would move a complaint against it. The court said sloth and lackluster attitude of the authorities regarding such sensitive matters could not be tolerated. It posed a question why Pakistani authorities have failed to ban the websites posting blasphemous material when even China has done it. The government should have legislated to check the profane material and it could also have agitated the issue at the level of the Organisation of Islamic Countries but it did not do it which speaks volumes for its negligence, the court observed. The court said the use of internet should not be at the cost of religious disharmony, as this impugned action would not only create chaos in the society but would also disintegrate the efforts made towards international peace and tranquility. The court has given the guidelines to the government that inter-ministerial committee constituted by the PM, should keep a vigil on such websites and it must act abruptly in the eventuality of any objectionable material concerning the faith of any group is posted on the website. In case of failure, the responsible persons shall be taken to task, the court added. The crisis cell of the Services Division of ICT Directorate and Enforcement Division should be employed to detect such sites without any delay, it directed. The court has also asked the government to raise the matter before the United Nations for legislation at the international level to forestall cabling of the blasphemous/sacrilegious material on websites and also convey to the international forum how much such materials injure feelings and sentiments of the Muslims. The government will also bring the matter before the OIC to let them adopt a clear cut via media to plug the possibility of the publication of the blasphemous material and that the government would also legislate on the issue besides imparting awareness to the masses through media, it was directed. The court also obliged the government to sue the authorities concerned in case it repeats publication of the blasphemous material.