Pakistan court hears commission's call for stronger online child protection laws

Addressing a petition about children under 16 using social media, the National Commission on the Rights of Child submitted a detailed response to the Islamabad High Court. The document stresses that protecting children online is a state responsibility and proposes integrating age-verification mechanisms into the Digital Nation Pakistan Act. It urges the government to boost the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s resources and set up specialized teams for investigating child sexual exploitation.

The commission also seeks a child-rights-focused amendment of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and calls for greater platform accountability, rapid removal of harmful material, and limits on unsolicited contact between minors and unknown adults. Advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid represent the petitioner in the case.