ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday raised questions over a report submitted by the Director General of Zainab Alert in a case concerning the alleged harmful effects of social media use among children under 16.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case, during which the counsel for PEMRA appeared before the court, while Director General Zainab Alert Recovery and Response Act, Abdul Sattar, also appeared in person.
During the hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction over the submitted report and questioned whether the authority had properly responded to the points earlier raised by the bench. Justice Tahir remarked that the court had asked specific questions, but the submitted reply did not address them in clear terms.
“Across the world, work is being done on this issue. What are you doing?” the judge remarked, while questioning the performance and response mechanism of the Zainab Alert authority.
The court also asked whether Zainab Alert only maintains data or also plays an active role in child protection, recovery and rehabilitation. DG Abdul Sattar informed the court that the authority helps recover children, arranges medical assistance and supports treatment for psychological issues. He stated that more than 5,000 children had so far been recovered, including children who had left home and others who were allegedly abducted.
The court further questioned whether the authority appears in FIRs and cases involving abducted children. Justice Tahir observed that the court had sought item-wise answers in its previous order, but the required response had not been properly submitted.
The Islamabad High Court also directed the NCCIA to submit its response in the matter and adjourned further hearing until September 7.
The case is part of growing judicial scrutiny over children’s online safety in Pakistan, where concerns have increased over cyberbullying, online grooming, harmful content, privacy risks and unregulated access to social media platforms by minors. UNICEF’s child online protection analysis has also highlighted that children in Pakistan face risks including cyberbullying, online grooming and online child sexual exploitation.
The Zainab Alert law was enacted to improve the response mechanism for missing and abducted children, including recovery, protection and coordination among relevant authorities. The NCCIA is Pakistan’s federal cybercrime body dealing with cyber offences, digital forensics and online crime complaints.
