Sindh -chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced on Thursday the creation of a social media protection and regulation authority under the Electronic Crimes Prevention Act (PECA), as well as a new center of excellence to counter violent extremism.
The announcements were made at the 32nd meeting of the Apex Committee chaired by CM Murad at the house of the Minister -Chief. The high -level meeting attended provincial ministers, security officials and representatives of the main federal and provincial services.
The social media authority will be empowered to regulate illegal or offensive content, to apply content standards, to manage the registration of platforms and to recommend a complete or partial blocking of the platforms. He will also have the power to direct the departments concerned to delete harmful online content.
“This step aims to ensure digital security and protect the rights of individuals on social networks,” said the chief minister.
The provincial government has also revealed plans aimed at establishing a center of excellence on the fight against violent extremism, which will focus on research, strategy and the development of policies to combat extremism.
The Center will support surveys on terrorism financing for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and will help counter online radicalization, hate speeches and young people ‘delinquency.
CM Murad asked the interior secretary to present the Center bill at the next meeting of the cabinet.
The chief minister also called for increased coordination with Punjab and Balutchistan to carry out joint operations against bandits in river regions.
Discussing the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, Shah said that the provincial government had finished the first phase of the repatriation plan for illegal foreigners (IFRP), expelling more than 85,000 undocumented people in 2023-24.
Public transportation centers for repatriation have been created in Karachi, Hyderabad and Jacobabad under the supervision of respective assistant commissioners.
Worrying about the increase in road accidents and recent criminal fire incidents involving oil and waste, CM Murad has ordered the police to strictly enforce traffic regulations and apprehend sabotage managers.
