PA seeks social media curbs for under-16s

The Punjab Assembly (PA) on Tuesday called for effective legal restrictions on social media accounts of children under 16 and equal opportunities for minority prisoners to receive religious education, appear in examinations and earn sentence reductions under the law.

The House passed a resolution demanding coordinated action by federal and provincial institutions to protect children from growing risks associated with social media use.

It highlighted concerns over cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, psychological stress and other potential harms to minors.

The resolution cited measures introduced in Australia, France, China and several US states to regulate social media use by children.

The assembly also passed by majority vote a resolution seeking equal opportunities for minority prisoners to receive religious education and benefit from sentence reductions available under the law.

Moved by government lawmaker Raheela Khadim, the resolution referred to Rule 215 of the Punjab Prison Rules, 1978, under which prisoners can receive sentence reductions for completing religious education.

According to figures cited in the resolution, 2,558 Muslim prisoners received religious education and benefited from the facility between 2020 and 2025.

The House called for the system to be extended effectively to prisoners belonging to religious minorities. Christian, Hindu, Sikh and other minority prisoners should be allowed to study their respective religious curricula, appear in examinations and receive sentence reductions upon successful completion, in accordance with the law, it said.

The House also took up the issue of the disposal of worn-out and damaged pages of the Holy Quran according to Islamic principles.

Responding to an adjournment motion moved by Ahsan Raza, Punjab Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafay Hussain said the Punjab Quran Board comprised scholars from different schools of thought and, with the cooperation of the Madina Foundation, worn-out Quranic pages were being treated with a special chemical at Quran Mahal in accordance with religious procedures.

He said the Quran Board had decided to launch awareness campaigns through social media and establish a cell at the Home Office for the protection and proper handling of Quranic material. Collection boxes had also been installed in Kasur for collecting worn-out Quranic pages, he added.

Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan proposed the formation of a seven-member parliamentary committee to find a permanent solution to the issue.

The committee would include Shafay Hussain, the Special Secretary, Home Secretary and other relevant officials.

The issue of illegal housing societies also triggered a heated discussion.

Opposition lawmaker Ahmed Rasheed Bhatti alleged that numerous housing societies in Lahore had taken money from citizens but failed to provide the promised plots.

He further alleged that security guards threatened poor citizens when they approached the societies to inquire about their plots.