IT Minister Highlights PTA’s Crackdown on 5,000+ Child Abuse Websites

Shaza Fatima Khawaja, minister for IT and telecom, has informed the Senate that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 5,175 websites hosting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) as part of ongoing efforts to protect minors online.

The minister stated that these sites were identified through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s Interpol desk. Under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, the PTA has also removed or restricted access to over 1,000,000 URLs containing indecent and immoral content accessible in Pakistan.

Responding to concerns raised by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Khawaja noted that no comprehensive study has been conducted in the last three years to measure social media’s impact on children, including mental health risks and exposure to online abuse. Nonetheless, she highlighted various regulatory, enforcement, and awareness initiatives undertaken to minimize these risks.

While social media platforms in Pakistan operate under PECA, administrative oversight has recently shifted to the Ministry of Interior. Platform-level safeguards, including age verification systems, account registration controls, and parental monitoring tools, are managed by the platforms themselves according to their global standards. PTA focuses on monitoring compliance, enforcing regulations, and promoting safer online practices.

In addition to enforcement, the PTA has launched several awareness and capacity-building programs. A guidebook titled “Safeguarding Your Child in the Digital Age” was published in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan, Telenor Pakistan, and the National Commission on the Rights of the Child. A nationwide toll-free helpline (1121) has been established for reporting child abuse incidents.

The authority also conducted a nationwide “Train the Trainer” program, which trained master facilitators who subsequently held sessions in 100 government schools, benefiting over 12,500 parents, teachers, and students. Memorandums of understanding have been signed with stakeholders, including UNICEF Pakistan, TikTok, GSMA, and the Higher Education Commission, to further promote safer internet practices for children.

Through these combined enforcement and awareness efforts, the PTA aims to reduce minors’ exposure to harmful digital content while strengthening regulatory compliance across platforms in Pakistan.

Also read:

PTA Finalizes Qualified Bidders for March 10 NGMS/5G Auction