Islamabad, July 26: Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Amir Azeem Bajwa has called on the government to block social media websites in the country in consideration to the circulation of "blasphemous content" through these mediums. Briefing a Senate Standing Committee, Bajwa asked the government to formulate a policy to block social media networks which are being operated outside the country, and in its stead develop indigenous social networking websites, just as in the UAE and China.

Bajwa added that the government has asked the PTA to make social media rules, which would be presented soon, reported Geo News. The chairman said that the PTA has blocked more than 39,000 URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) since 2010, and blocked as many as 8,000 websites related to pornography. Aasia Bibi Leaves Pakistan After Acquitted in Blasphemy Case, Reunites with Family in Canada: Lawyer.

In addition, the PTA has received over 8,000 complaints regarding blasphemous content on the internet, and many as 40,000 websites in total have been blocked in Pakistan by the body.As to the content being hosted on the Dark Web, Bajwa admitted that that was hard to control.