ISLAMABAD -  Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Thursday took a serious notice of the media reports regarding registration of criminal cases on blasphemy charges against the five missing bloggers and social media activists in an Islamabad police station. 

According to a spokesman of the Interior Ministry, the minister also took notice of what he called ‘propaganda’ against the social media campaigners on charges of blasphemy.

Denying initiation of any criminal proceedings against the social media activists in this connection, the minister said there was no truth about the registration of cases against them and such reports were absolutely non-serious and ridiculous.

Al least, five social media activists, including Salman Haider, Ahmed Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, Ahmed Raza Naseer and Samar Abbas had gone missing from Islamabad and Punjab in the first week of January.

“Some elements are disseminating wrong information on this matter and they are aggravating the situation,” the minister said. The dissemination of negative propaganda and wrong information is a clear proof of the indifference attitude of these elements, he said adding that perhaps they have no feelings that the miseries of the missing persons families would increase with their action

“The government is focusing on all of its resources to recover the bloggers safe and sound and all efforts are being made in the connection,” Chaudhry Nisar said. He also showed sympathy with the families of missing persons.

Earlier this week, a non-government organisation, Civil Society of Pakistan, had moved an application against five missing persons in the Industrial Area Police Station of Islamabad for registration of a case on blasphemy charges against them. The application was moved after discussions on social media that these campaigners were allegedly involved in committing blasphemy through social media sites.

RANGERS POWERS EXTENDED IN KARACHI

The Ministry of Interior extended the policing powers of Rangers in Karachi for another period of 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Interior says that the powers of Rangers Sindh had been extended for another period of 90 days with effect from January 16, 2017 under clause (i) of the sub section 3 of section 4 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 19997

The notification says: “Pursuant to the request made by the Home Department, Government of Sindh, dated 18th January, 2017 and in continuation of this Ministry’s Notification No. 9/1/95-R (Sindh) dated 16th October, 2016, the powers of Rangers has been extended.”

The policing powers authorise the paramilitary force to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, or scheduled offences, in the notified area under the provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The extension in powers of Rangers in Karachi had remained a bone of contention between the federal and the Sindh governments in the past, as the latter wanted to curtail the powers of the paramilitary force. In December 2015, the PPP-led Sindh government had got a resolution passed in the provincial assembly that had asked the federal government to extend powers of Rangers but with some conditions. Sindh government then had moved a summary to the federal government along with a copy of the resolution but the Interior Ministry rejected had rejected the summary.