The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sought responses from the federal government and regulatory authorities to a petition seeking to regulate social media use by children under 16. IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar resumed hearing on the plea and issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that protecting the best interests of children was the state's constitutional and legal responsibility. He told the court that several countries were introducing age restrictions and safety measures for children's use of social media. Different countries are making children's use of social media subject to age limits and safety measures, the counsel added.

The court then asked PEMRA whether any law currently regulated children's use of social media and whether any such legislation had been enacted so far. In response, the counsel stated that no such law existed yet and that regulatory bodies could only act upon receiving formal complaints, prompting the court to direct relevant ministries and law officers to ensure compliance with the issued notices.

The petition, filed through advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Fareed Khawaja, seeks an effective age-verification mechanism and a comprehensive legal framework to protect minors from cyberbullying, online harassment, and harmful content. It cited international precedents from Australia, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Spain, urging the state to fulfill its constitutional obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.