ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Saturday said child pornography was a major cause of child abuse in Pakistan as it hinted at making the crime a non-bailable offence.
During the hearing of a case pertaining to the dissemination of child pornography on social media, the top court remarked that the suspects detained for spreading such videos on social media do not deserve bail.
It subsequently rejected the bail plea filed by accused Umar Khan, who was arrested from Abbottabad for uploading child pornography on social media, and directed the trial court to conclude the case at the earliest. Khan was arrested after the Facebook administration approached authorities concerned against him.
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The apex court said child pornography was pushing society towards a disaster, adding that such videos were also a source of rising crimes of pedophilia across the country.
The court said child pornography was a serious threat to the future of the children and it should be dealt with an iron hand.
The SC bench remarked that the dissemination of material involving children was harming the social fabric of society.
The court also rejected the argument put forward by the accused’s lawyer that the affected party didn’t come forward in the case. The SC said the case against Khan was pertaining to the spreading of pornography, not producing it.