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ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has constituted a committee on rules for regulation of social media to protect the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and the right to information.

According to a statement issued by Attorney General for Pakistan’s Office, the PM Office through directive No 597/SPM/2021 dated 29-03-21 constituted the committee headed by Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari and comprising Parliamentary Secretary on Law and Justice Maleeka Ali Bukhari, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, the secretary Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, and the chairman PTA.

The Information Technology and Telecom Division “shall” function as the Secretariat of the Committee.

The Committee “shall” submit its report along with recommendations regarding the matter to the prime minister within one month.

The committee will commence its work and the Secretariat would intimate public at large of the date and venue for consultations with all the stakeholders including those who had filed petitions before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Pakistan Bar Council, and a TikToker, Ashfaq Jutt, had challenged the social media rules made by the PTA in the IHC.

The PFUJ has urged the court to strike down the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards), Rules, 2020, saying that the rules are “unconstitutional”.

The PTA has made these rules and the IT Ministry announced them on November 19th.

The PTA has the power to do this under Sub-section (2) of Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, which talks about “unlawful online content”.

AGP Khalid Jawed Khan had assured the court that the government would review the rules.

He, therefore, held consultation with the petitioners had expressed interest in the deliberations of social media rules “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards), Rules 2020.”

The AGP, later on, recommended to the prime minister that further and broad-based consultations were required for framing of comprehensive rules for regulation of social media, which protect the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and right to information as envisaged under Article 19 and 19-A of the Constitution, and to ensure that social media platforms are not abused and material is not disseminated in violation of laws.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

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