*Lillestrom, Norway –
Pakistan actively participated in the 20th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF-2025) held in Lillestrom, Norway, reaffirming its commitment to digital inclusion, citizen protection, and global cooperation in shaping responsible digital governance.
The Pakistani parliamentary delegation is led by *Senator Anusha Rahman, and includes **Senator Falak Naz, **Senator Muhammad Aslam Abro, and **Chairman PTA Maj. Gen. (R) Hafeez ur Rehman*, representing the PTA.
Senator Anusha Rahman participated in the *Parliamentary Track panel discussion, where she raised multiple pertinent questions regarding **misinformation, propoganda, digital sovereignty, demanding the **global accountability of social media platforms*.
She asked what mechanisms are in place for social media platforms to remove harmful content—such as deepfakes, disinformation, and propaganda—when governments submit lawful takedown requests. She emphasized that the *conflict between commercial interests of tech platforms vs public welfare* is impeding citizen safety. *Governments are chased by tech platforms for reducing content regulation while no alternative protective mechanisms are made by them to protect citizens*.
She further questioned the *disproportionate power held by social media platforms headquartered in the West* to unilaterally judge and deny content removal requests made governments under the laws of sovereign nations with diverse religious beliefs, cultural norms and corresponding legislation. “How can offline freedom of expression differ from online freedom of expression?,” she asked, highlighting that *citizens’ rights—online or offline—are governed by national constitutions and laws, and cannot be ruled by the policies of social media platform owners.*
Representing Pakistan, she also called for a *review of intermediary liability protections* that shield platforms from legal accountability, suggesting that such immunity has led to a lack of responsibility with respect to content moderation. She stated that the *weaponization of social media* is a global threat and that the burden of addressing it must lie with the platforms themselves. She noted that *technology is now enabling governments to develop regional platforms, and if global tech giants fail respect soveriegn laws, then states may increasingly turn to **domestic digital ecosystems and access control tools harmonised with the needs of citizens*.
Senator Rahman also attended the *cybersecurity session* under the Parliamentary Track, reinforcing Pakistan’s interest in multilateral digital safeguards and collaborative cyber risk governance.
Pakistan’s participation at IGF-2025 aligns with its broader *digital diplomacy agenda, anchored in national law such as Prevention of Electronic crimes Act, 2016, the **Digital Pakistan Policy, 2018, **Cyber Security Policy 2021, and **full support for the UN-led AI Governance Dialogue*.
