HRCP Warns Against Senate Resolution to Ban Social Media

News Desk
Lahore: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) vehemently opposed the proposed Senate resolution aiming to ban all social media platforms.
In a press release Sunday, HRCP cautioned members of the Upper House that such measures not only infringe upon people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression but also undermine democracy.
It also urged civil society and digital rights activists to unite against any attempts to enforce a ban on social media, including reports suggesting a ban on all VPNs, and demands that immediate action be taken to restore access.
The notion of such a resolution is both illogical and unworkable. It’s ironic that despite the shutdown of social media platform X since February 17, political parties, state institutions, government officials, and lawmakers, including Senator Bahramand Tangi, who initiated the resolution, continue to utilise X through virtual private networks (VPNs).
Social media access has empowered ordinary citizens to share information, earn livelihoods, advocate for their rights, hold authorities accountable, and mobilise for social and political causes. Any attempt to curb digital freedoms wholesale demonstrates a severe misunderstanding of how modern democracies and economies operate.
HRCP highlights that successive governments have frequently and arbitrarily shut down social media, citing’ security concerns’, even preceding the 2024 elections. There’s no evidence to suggest that such actions have contributed to societal safety.
If the Senate genuinely cares about the nation’s youth, ostensibly the reason behind the proposed resolution, it should focus on addressing issues like youth unemployment, education accessibility, and pervasive misogyny instead of playing the role of outdated ‘thought-police’.
While regulating social media to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence against women, religious, ethnic, and gender minorities is essential, it must be done judiciously, transparently, and in collaboration with civil society.
Unfortunately, granting the state unchecked authority to regulate social media is futile, as it has historically exploited this power to censor dissenters and rivals.