The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has “strongly opposed” a resolution brought in the Senate seeking a ban on all social media.

In a statement on X, it warned the Senate members that “any such ill- judged measures that violate people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression also represent an erosion of democracy”.

Highlighting that such a resolution was “as nonsensical as it is impractical”, the HRCP said: “Any attempt to curb digital freedoms wholesale betrays a shocking ignorance of how modern democracies and economies function.

“Finally, successive governments have frequently and arbitrarily shut down social media for ‘security concerns’ even prior to the 2024 elections. There is no evidence to suggest that such a step has made society any safer,” it added.

“Regrettably, giving the state a free hand to regulate social media is futile it has always perceived this responsibility as an opportunity to censor and dissenters,” the HRCP stated.