• PTI senators slam ban on meetings with Imran
• Law minister says jail superintendent responsible for meetings, denies solitary confinement claim
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Friday called for keeping tabs on the use of social media platforms by children under 18, with the chair proposing a special committee to develop safeguards in consultation with relevant ministries.
The issue was raised through a calling-attention notice moved by Senators Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Aimal Wali Khan, Saadia Abbasi and Dilawar Khan.
Presiding over the sitting, Senator Sherry Rehman said some checks were needed and suggested forming a special committee comprising representatives of the ministries of information technology, interior, education and law, along with parliamentary parties and provincial governments. She said the final decision would rest with Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Speaking on the notice, Senator Naz said most platforms were designed for adults and warned that children’s exposure to inappropriate content could make them vulnerable to online harassment, exploitation and dangerous trends.
She referred to last year’s killing of Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old TikToker, and said such incidents underscored the risks of unmonitored social media use for minors.
She called for a comprehensive legal framework and urged the government to introduce mandatory age verification, parental supervision and other protective measures.
She also demanded restrictions on the use of TikTok, Instagram, VPNs and similar tools by children below 18. “The matter is serious in nature and immediate and serious steps should be taken to prevent children from further dangers of social media,” she said, seeking a briefing from the IT ministry on existing laws and a future action plan.
Senator Fawzia Arshad said social media had become a serious concern for parents and required a collective response. She stressed the need for counselling in educational institutions to guide children and discourage harmful online behaviour.
“The age between 16 and 18 is very vulnerable and fragile,” she said, adding that the problem could worsen without proper guidance. She also said civics and moral development were insufficiently covered in the curriculum.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry described the matter as a national issue and said it should be referred to the relevant standing committee.
He said the issue was not limited to the IT ministry and involved the ministries of education and interior as well. He called for coordination among stakeholders to propose curriculum changes and appropriate restrictions for underage users in line with international practices. “This is not a challenge for Pakistan but an international issue,” he said.
The minister said law enforcement and cybercrime institutions, including the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), should be engaged in efforts to address the issue.
“There is a need for a national debate to find a solution to save the underage children from the dangers (of social media),” he said.
Senator Sherry Rehman noted that Australia had introduced legislation to restrict social media use for children under 16, but said she was not in favour of blanket bans. Describing social media as an educational tool as well, she said the Senate should consider all aspects and proceed “judiciously”.
PTI protest
Separately, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers criticised what they described as a continued ban on meetings with the party’s founder Imran Khan, alleging violations of court orders.
Speaking on a point of order, PTI parliamentary leader Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar said former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had been kept in solitary confinement for the past two months, calling it the “worst form of torture” prohibited under the Constitution, domestic laws and international human rights conventions.
He alleged that the jail authorities were effectively punishing the couple without trial, arguing that prolonged detention under harsh prison conditions amounted to punishment in itself. The cases against them were being used as political tools, he said.
Senator Zafar rejected the government’s assertion that meetings were not allowed because visitors made political statements, saying this could not justify the denial of fundamental rights. “Legal rights cannot be suspended on political grounds,” he said.
He told the House that, despite being legal counsel for Mr Khan, he was not being allowed to meet his client, describing this as a violation of the sanctity of the lawyer-client relationship and a denial of the right to legal defence.
PTI Senator Falak Naz also said Mr Khan had been kept in solitary confinement and that no one had been allowed to meet him for the past two months.
Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the jail superintendent had the authority to schedule meetings based on conduct. He pointed out that Adiala Jail fell under the jurisdiction of the Punjab government and that the federal government had no authority to issue directions in this regard.
The minister rejected the opposition’s claim that Mr Khan was being kept in solitary confinement.
Separately, the House also discussed reports of tree cutting in Chitral, with Senator Naz alleging that the timber mafia continued illegal felling. Senator Sherry Rehman said Chitral had “turned brown from green” over the past two decades, adding that the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change would take up the issue in its next meeting.
Senator Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said forestry was a provincial subject but noted that the federal government could write to the provincial authorities.
Published in media, January 17th, 2026
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