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8 months ago
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The Senate will debate the resolution on banning social media within the country on Monday.
A resolution regarding the ban on social media within the country has been submitted in the Senate of Pakistan on Saturday, which will be debated on March 4 (Monday).
Bahramand Tangi, who became a senator on the ticket of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), has demanded a ban on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube and X in his letter.
The resolution has been included in the agenda of the Senate Secretariat, which will be debated in the upper house two days later.
The resolution said that ' social media platforms are having negative effects on the young generation of the country.
"Social media platforms are being used to promote principles against our religion, culture and are being used to create hatred on religion and language among people."
The resolution expressed concern over these platforms being 'used against the country's interests through negative and malicious propaganda against the Pakistan Army'.
"Interested parties are using these platforms to spread fake news on various issues. These platforms are trying to deceive the young generation by promoting fake leadership.'
The resolution demanded that the Senate recommends the government of Pakistan to ban Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, X and YouTube.
"By imposing this ban, the young generation should be protected from their negative and destructive effects."
The resolution was submitted at a time when X (formerly Twitter) services are being disrupted across the country.
Last year, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman recommended the government to block social media websites in a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology.
He asked the government to block social media websites on the pattern of UAE and China.
The PTA later denied this in a clarification statement.
Senator Bahramand Tangi in a conversation with Independent Urdu raised a few questions while defending the resolution.
He says: 'Is destroying the country by promoting fake leadership on social media, ruining the future of the youth on websites like Tik Tok, turning to obscenity, spreading false news about the Pakistan Army, freedom of expression? ?'
In response to Independent Urdu's question whether it would be right to block social media websites despite the existence of laws to control fake news and other content?
On this, Senator Bahramand Tangi said: 'Cybercrime has never been punished because we have laws in our country but their implementation is zero.
He claimed that 95 percent of people in the country misuse these websites.
Senator Bahramand Tangi said, 'People associated with the media work openly for political parties and also call themselves journalists.
'It's a shame because social media is what drives their propaganda.'
He further said that if even 60 percent of people use these websites correctly, it would be fine but so many people in the country misuse it.
It is possible that the House will reject this issue completely, but as a Pakistani, it is my right to submit this resolution for my country, institutions and children.
'Senator Tangi has nothing to do with PPP'
PPP Secretary General Nir Bukhari clarified in a statement that the party has nothing to do with Senator Bahramand Tangi and his resolution.
He said that Senator Bahramand Tangi should not use the name of the party because the People's Party had terminated his basic membership.
"Senator Bahramand Tangi was served with a show-cause notice for deviating from party policy, which he failed to respond to."
According to the statement, the president of PPP Charsadda had canceled the basic membership of Senator Tangi.
Senator Tangi is retiring from the Senate on March 11.
Ban on social media is unconstitutional.
Nighat Dad, chairperson of Digital Rights Foundation, said in this regard, 'Such a resolution makes a mockery of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which deals with the right to freedom of expression.
"It is tantamount to making a mockery of the Constitution because it is a violation of fundamental rights."
He said that the world has moved beyond banning platforms, they are looking for other innovative ways to deal with harmful content online.
"It is unfortunate for the people of this country that the legislators here are presenting such resolutions which are violating our rights and are making a mockery of the people living in this country in the world."
He raised the question that who can present such a resolution in the Senate these days?
Fariha Aziz, co-founder of 'Bolo Bhi', an organization working on digital rights, said that considering 'bandash' as the solution to every problem is narrow-minded, problems need to be solved properly.
He said that banning any platform completely is unconstitutional and they have been challenged on the same basis and the courts have also held that this practice is unconstitutional.
Referring to the PICA law, he said that 'Section 37 has serious reservations on the part of the civil society that this law should not exist, even this law does not authorize complete closure of websites. But we see that such blanket bans are also imposed.
Fariha said that in the past, such resolutions and petitions have been going to the courts.
'This is not the first time this is happening and it will not be the last time. A few individuals or organizations cannot decide what all individuals can and cannot see.
'These platforms are being used for education and income. It should be opposed in the House which is very important.'
In recent days, the closure of X was challenged in the Sindh High Court, after which the court ordered its uninterrupted supply.
English (US)