Two lawyers, Sheraz Zaka and Moin Akhtar, have filed a petition at the Lahore registry of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), seeking restrictions on social media access for children under the age of 16.
Zaka, who described himself as an activist, and Akhtar, who identified himself as the father of a minor child, argued that children in Pakistan were increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, addictive platform features, sexualised content and the promotion of alcohol on social media.
The petitioners maintained that Pakistani law currently does not require age verification for social media users. They noted that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, contains no specific provision restricting social media access for users below 16.
Citing Australia, Italy and Brazil, where measures restricting social media access for under-16s have been introduced or proposed, the petitioners argued that similar regulation was both possible and necessary in Pakistan.
They also accused the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) of failing to adequately enforce its code of conduct, alleging that television dramas and advertisements featuring intimate scenes and depictions of alcohol were broadcast during hours when children were likely to be watching.
The petitioners further highlighted Pakistan’s education crisis, stating that around 25 million children are out of school, which they described as one of the largest such populations in the world.
They argued that the government’s failure to take measures to protect children from harmful online content violated Articles 9, 14, 25, 25-A and 35 of the Constitution, which relate to the rights to life, dignity, equality, education and protection of the family.
The petition also invokes Pakistan’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and refers to a previous Lahore High Court judgment that directed the state to legislate on human rights and social issues.
The lawyers have asked the FCC to direct the federal government to amend Peca 2016 to restrict social media access for children under 16 and introduce an effective age-verification mechanism.
They have also sought directions for Pemra to strictly enforce content regulations during hours when children are most likely to be watching television.
In addition, the petitioners have asked the government to coordinate with social media platforms to strengthen parental controls and take measures to address the country’s high number of out-of-school children and dropout rates.
The petitioners described their plea as the first of its kind in Pakistan.
The federal government, through the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Information Technology, along with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, Pemra and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, have been named as respondents.
