ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the Senate Standing Committee on Information that all social media sites are operational in the nation, with the exception of “X,” which has been prohibited because of noncompliance.
He claimed that the caretaker administration had taken this decision in response to a question from the Senate panel’s chairman, Senator Barrister Ali Zafar. The Ministry of Interior has responded to the Islamabad High Court’s ruling prohibiting the use of X, the old name for Twitter. The minister stated, “The court will make an appropriate decision on the matter.”
According to Tarar, there are no limitations on the public’s ability to submit different kinds of content on popular networks like Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The head of the committee emphasized how crucial it is to protect every citizen’s fundamental rights. “Freedom of expression is a basic right enshrined in the constitution,” he stated. In order to guarantee the distribution of correct information and resolve public complaints, Zafar emphasized the necessity of a cooperative structure between the Information Ministry and other organizations.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui highlighted the ubiquity of fake and falsified news on social media at the discussion and urged action to stop the abuse of the right to free speech. Senator Jam Muhammad emphasized the necessity for social media to serve national interests while arguing for a plan to counteract misinformation, fake news, and disinformation.
Senator Pervez Rasheed denounced the misinformation and offensive remarks that are common on social media. The minister emphasized how urgent it is to solve cybercrimes, pointing out that there are no systems in place to deal with problems like deepfakes.
Tarar stated that the information and IT ministers were on a committee headed by Rana Sanaullah that was proposing the creation of a Digital Rights Protection Authority on behalf of the federal cabinet.
The minister urged media outlets to pay unpaid payments to journalists and media workers while highlighting the government’s efforts to pay off their Rs1.6 billion in outstanding debt. He mentioned that these payments will be made, as promised by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association.
In response to a question about fake publications, Tarar disclosed that just 200 of the 2,000 newspapers are All Pakistan publications Society (APNS) members. He asked for a thorough report on fake publications at the following meeting and urged APNS to take a more proactive approach to resolving this issue.
