The Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought on Monday responses from relevant ministries and regulatory authorities on a petition calling for a legal and regulatory framework to govern social media access for children under 16.
The petition, filed earlier this month by Waqas Nasir through lawyers Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid Khawaja, also seeks legislation on children’s online safety and the introduction of an effective age-verification system for social media accounts.
IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar heard the case and issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).
The respondents were directed to submit their replies within 15 days.
Advocates Haider and Khawaja appeared before the court during the hearing. Advocate Haider argued that social media platforms should be required to implement a reliable age-verification mechanism for accounts operated by children. He said legislation was urgently needed to protect minors from cyberbullying, online harassment, harmful or inappropriate content and other risks associated with social media use.
He maintained that protecting the best interests of children was a “constitutional and legal responsibility of the state” and urged the government to introduce legislation in line with international practices.
When Justice Dogar asked whether Pemra had any law specifically dealing with the issue, Advocate Haider said the regulator had legal authority to act against individuals on the basis of complaints. However, he added, there was currently no specific legislation governing children’s access to social media.
The chief justice also asked whether any law had been enacted specifically for this purpose. The lawyer replied that no such legislation currently existed.
The court subsequently issued notices to the relevant ministries and authorities, directing them to submit their responses within 15 days. Justice Dogar also instructed the law officer to ensure that the notices were implemented.
In his petition, Nasir asked the court to direct the government to establish a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for protecting children online, including specific safeguards for their use of social media.
The petition argues that children are increasingly vulnerable to the harmful effects of social media, including cyberbullying, online harassment and exposure to inappropriate or dangerous content. It calls for a comprehensive mechanism to address these risks and protect minors in the digital environment.
The petitioner has also sought directions for the government to formulate a policy covering children’s digital rights, privacy, and mental and physical safety. The proposed framework would also place specific obligations on social media platforms to protect minors.
The petition notes that several countries have introduced age restrictions and other safety measures governing children’s use of social media. It argues that Pakistan should similarly adopt legislation as part of the growing international effort to protect children in the digital sphere.
The plea also invokes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, arguing that protecting the best interests of children is not simply a policy goal but a legal obligation of the state.
The issue also came under discussion in the Punjab Assembly last month, when a resolution was submitted seeking a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16 without parental consent. Moved by MPA Sarah Ahmad, the resolution called on the provincial government to recommend that the federal government enact comprehensive legislation regulating children’s access to social media platforms and strengthen measures for their online safety.
