On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court Wednesday ordered the Pakistan government to force the country’s Internet service providers to block access to popular social networking site Facebook, because of the site’s plans for a “blasphemous” contest, in which users are being asked to draw caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

According to reports, “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” is an anti-censorship event that Facebook has scheduled for May 20.

Going by a recent report by The Los Angeles Times, the Pakistan Telecommunication Regulatory Authority shut down some sections of Facebook in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad, with effect from early Wednesday evening.

According to the information forwarded on the website of the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the ban on Facebook – which has a notable number of users in the Islamic country - has been imposed till May 31. In addition, the court has also asked the Pakistan Foreign Ministry to complain about the sacrilegious competition to the international community.

As per the APP, Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Saeed Kazmi said in a statement that Pakistan needs an effective plan to thwart the attempts by anti-Islam elements that intend “hurting the sentiments of Muslims.”

In addition, Karachi witnessed demonstrations against Facebook on Wednesday, with protestors holding banners and shouting anti-Facebook slogans. Moreover, reports also said that people circulated text messages asking Facebook users in Pakistan to support the ban.