Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addressing the National Assembly during Wednesday’s session. Photo: X
ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday told the Senate that the growing and unregulated exposure of children under 18 to social media platforms was an extremely serious issue, requiring a coordinated and comprehensive response from all state institutions.
Responding to a calling attention notice raised by Falak Naz and others regarding the excessive and unmonitored use of social media applications by minor children, the minister said the issue transcended political lines and could not be confined to one era, one government, or one side of the aisle.
“This is not an opposition-versus-government matter. It is a collective national issue,” he said.
He said the concern raised by Senator Falak Naz was valid and must be examined through the relevant parliamentary forum.
The minister said that no single institution could resolve the problem, as it required simultaneous input from Interior, Education Ministries, FIA Cyber Wing and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and regulatory bodies etc.
He said countries across the world were struggling with similar concerns. “This problem is escalating everywhere. No country has fully handled it or found a perfect model,” he said.
He said that several apps do contain age-verification mechanisms, but enforcement was weak and needed legislative clarity and multi-agency support.
The minister said the government would support the formation of a special committee if the Senate decided to constitute one. Such a body, he said, could frame a national, unified and comprehensive response to protect children from digital harm.
Earlier raised the calling attention notice, Senator Falak Naz said that millions of under-18 children were using TikTok, Instagram, VPNs and other platforms without supervision, exposing them to inappropriate content, online harassment, psychological harm and dangerous trends.
She cited recent tragic incidents including the case of Sana Yousaf – as evidence that unregulated social media use had put children’s lives, mental health and social development at severe risk.
Meanwhile, responding to a question raised by Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the House that no operation of any kind was being carried out inside Quaid-e-Azam University.
He clarified that the recent operation took place in the area adjacent to the Diplomatic Enclave specifically the Muslim Colony where some encroachments had been established on CDA land by non-local residents.
