Dawn
-
14:00 Jul 01, 2025
Sahiwal police said on Tuesday they arrested three men in separate cases over the last 24 hours for allegedly sharing hate speech, blasphemous content and sectarian material on social media. The Punjab government had ordered a crackdown on hateful content on social media alongside stringent security measures, such as army deployment, as the country gears up to observe Ashura (Muharram 10) on July 6. “All suspects were arrested following the registration of three FIRs (first information reports),” Sahiwal District Police Officer (DPO) Rana Tahir said, referring to the three men booked in the past two days. “The police are maintaining zero tolerance to such incidents,” DPO Tahir asserted. “Our message to the youth is clear: they must exercise caution while using social media, especially in ways that could hurt sectarian beliefs or sacred symbols.” The police officer stressed the urgent need to educate young people about the responsible use of social media platforms. The arrests were made under sections 295-A (d...