ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee, headed by his aide Rana Sanaullah, for consultations about proposed legislation to regulate social media platforms, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Monday.

The law regarding the establishment of a proposed digital media authority has been cleared by the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases, the minister told a press conference.

He added that after discussions, in the cabinet, the PM formed the body to engage stakeholders on the proposed law.

Mr Tarar said the committee would be headed by the former interior minister, while its members would include the incumbent ministers for law, information, and information technology, all of whom are PML-N members.

According to the law minister, parliamentary members of the PPP and MQM-P will also be taken on board regarding the law after which it will be tabled in the cabinet meeting again for approval.

When contacted, a government functionary privy to the development told Dawn that according to the ToRs, the committee will be tasked with building “political consensus on amendments in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016” and proposing reforms and amendments in the same.

In addition to the ministers for law and information, the body will consist of Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MNA Khalid Magsi, Senator Sherry Rehman, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and any other member co-opted by the committee.

Speaking at the press conference, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar justified the need to regulate social media.

He said online spaces were being used to propagate hate speech, child abuse, and harassment and there “has to be a mechanism” to deal with such cases.

In response to a question, the law minister said there was a need to update laws as per contemporary needs and a special cell in his ministry has also been formed to propose changes to the Pakistan Penal Code and the law of evidence.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024