On August 28, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking legislation to regulate social media use by children under 16 due to the unavailability of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar.

The petition, filed by Waqas Nasir through advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Fareed Khawaja, seeks mandatory age-verification systems and a legal framework to protect children from cyberbullying, online harassment and harmful content.

It also calls for safeguards for children’s digital privacy and wellbeing.

The petitioner cited international measures, including Australia’s restrictions on children’s social media use, France’s parental consent requirement and the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 and seeks a dedicated mechanism for child social media protection and regulation.