The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, led by Senator Mohsin Aziz, instructed relevant authorities on January 5, 2024 to take action in prohibiting websites housing questionable content to combat the escalating exposure of children to online explicit material. During the meeting, the committee addressed this issue along with other agenda items.
Officials updated the committee on efforts by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to tackle this problem. They highlighted the establishment of a specialized unit called the ‘Unit to Counter Online Child Abuse’ and reported 184 registered FIRs on child pornography in the past two years, resulting in the arrest of 225 offenders. Currently, the conviction rate for child pornography cases stands at 27%.
Additionally, the committee examined bills related to tree cutting and street vendors, deciding to defer them for further discussion in the subsequent meeting.
Senator Mohsin Aziz emphasized the urgent necessity to amplify the conviction rate in child abuse cases, emphasizing the importance of increasing awareness to combat this issue effectively.
Acknowledgement: Daily Dawn
