Islamabad High Court seeks responses from ministries, PTA and PEMRA on regulating social media use by children under 16 and strengthening online safety measures.
The Islamabad High Court has sought responses from the federal government and relevant institutions on a petition seeking regulation of social media use by children under the age of 16.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition filed by citizen Waqas Nasir and issued a written order directing the Ministry of IT, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information, PTA and PEMRA to submit paragraph-wise responses within 15 days.
The petitioner requested directions for the federal government to consider comprehensive legislation regulating children’s social media use and establish legal safeguards against serious risks arising from unsafe access to social media platforms.
The court observed that while existing laws address certain cybercrimes, Pakistan lacks a comprehensive and coordinated legal or regulatory framework for protecting children online.
The written order highlighted the need for measures including age verification, parental controls, protection of children’s personal information and digital literacy programs.
The court noted that regulatory gaps expose children to cyberbullying, online exploitation, harmful content, privacy violations and other serious online threats.
The Islamabad High Court further stated that the federal government and relevant institutions are obligated to take appropriate measures for the protection and welfare of children.
The court acknowledged the petitioner’s request for a national policy covering parental monitoring tools, complaint and redress mechanisms, privacy protection, public awareness and digital literacy.
The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for September 29, 2026.
