ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament will debate the proposed banning of social media platforms, prompted by a resolution advocating for a ban on major social media platforms. This comes as the country continues to face sporadic social media shutdowns.
This resolution, aimed at prohibiting major social media platforms, has been scheduled for discussion on March 4 during the Senate’s upcoming session.
Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, formerly affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) but now a member of the Awami National Party (ANP) since before the recently general election in Pakistan, tabled the resolution.
In the resolution, Senator Bahramand Tangi called for a ban on major social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube, citing concerns about their detrimental impact on the youth.
Highlighting the adverse effects of social media on the young generation, the resolution mentions the promotion of norms conflicting with religious and cultural values, as well as the propagation of hatred based on language and religion.
The Senator, in his resolution, expressed concern over the use of such platforms against the “interests of the country through negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan”. The resolution further said that these platforms being used to spread fake news and malign the armed forces of Pakistan.
Senator Tangi further voices concerns about the manipulation of social media to deceive the youth by promoting false leadership and spreading misinformation detrimental to the country’s interests.
“The Senate of Pakistan, therefore, recommends to the Government to put a ban on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter (X) and Youtube in order to save the young generation from their negative and devastating effects,” it concluded.
Senator Tangi earlier had introduced a resolution seeking delay in the February 8 general elections.
