The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought responses from the government and relevant regulatory bodies on a petition calling for rules to control social media access for children under 16.
IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar heard the petition filed by Waqas Nasir through lawyers Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid Khawaja.
The petition calls for new legislation to protect minors online and an effective age-verification system for social media accounts.
The court 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 have been given 15 days to submit their replies. The court also directed the law officer to ensure that the notices are implemented.
During the hearing, Advocate Muhammad Jalal Haider told the court that Pakistan needed a proper mechanism to verify the age of social media users, particularly children.
He said minors face risks including cyberbullying, online harassment and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content. He argued that protecting children from such risks was a responsibility of the state and required dedicated legislation.
The lawyer also called for Pakistan to introduce safeguards in line with international practices concerning children’s online safety.
Justice Dogar asked whether Pemra already had any law specifically covering children’s access to social media.
Haider responded that Pemra could take action against individuals based on complaints, but there was currently no specific law governing minors’ access to social media platforms.
The court also asked whether any legislation had already been enacted specifically for this purpose. The petitioner’s counsel replied that no such law was currently in place.
In the petition, Nasir has asked the court to direct the government to develop a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for protecting children online.
The proposed framework would cover minors’ digital rights, privacy and physical and mental safety, while also establishing responsibilities for social media platforms.
The petition argues that the growing exposure of children to online harassment, cyberbullying and harmful content requires stronger legal protections and a dedicated regulatory mechanism.
