The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday admitted for hearing a petition seeking a ban on the use of social media by children under the age of 16.

The petition, filed by eighth-grade student Aalia Saleem, was heard by LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum.

Shiza Qureshi advocate appeared on behalf of the petitioner.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that the matter was of a sensitive nature and said the government’s policy position on the issue must be clearly defined.

The court issued notices to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Ministry of Law and Justice, and other relevant parties, directing them to submit paragraph-wise replies by February 10.

In her petition, the petitioner argued that excessive use of social media is having a negative impact on the mental, moral and educational development of children.

She maintained that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure the protection of children’s fundamental rights.

The petitioner further contended that platforms such as TikTok and other social media applications are adversely affecting the psychology of underage children, and urged the court to impose a complete ban on social media use for those under 16 years of age.

The court will resume hearing the case after receiving responses from all parties.