Govt is Ready to Review Social Media Rules

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Jus­tice Athar Minallah was hearing a petition by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against social media rules introduced by the government in November. In the hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan told IHC that the government is ready to review new social media rules introduced last year and will consult all stakeholders in this regard.

Govt is Ready to Review Social Media Rules

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The new rules were immediately rejected by many stakeholders such as the Internet Service Providers of Pakistan (ISPAK). During the hearing, the AGP informed the court that the government supported a review of the social media regulation rules and “a review will be held after consultation with stakeholders and petitioners.”

The Chief Justice said the matter of enforcing social media rules involved Article-19 (Freedom of Speech) and Article-19A (Right to Information) of the Constitution which were “related to fundamental rights”. He also suggested getting consultation from Pakistan Bar Council and PFUJ in this regard.

AGP also assured the court that the government was not looking to put a “complete restriction” nor was “closing any social media platform”. He further asked for some time to review the rules together with the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) and the concerned stakeholders.

Source: Dawn News