ISLAMABAD: : Senior lawyer Ayaz Shaukat has been appointed as the pioneering Chairman of the newly established Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority.
The Ministry of Interior officially announced the appointment through a notification issued on Thursday, which also confirmed the appointment of five members to serve alongside him for a term of five years.
The appointed members include prominent journalist Sohail Iqbal Bhatti, along with Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Saad Ali. Currently, Ayaz Shaukat holds the position of Advocate General in Islamabad.
Shaukat is expected to assume his role as Chairman after the Eid holidays. Under the new framework, individuals who are victims of misinformation or malicious content will be able to submit complaints to the Authority. The Authority is mandated to respond and issue directions within 24 hours of receiving such complaints.
Furthermore, the Authority will possess the authority to remove or block content deemed harmful or false, ensuring greater regulation of social media platforms.
