Laws needed to regulate social media: Naqvi

LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi here said that Pakistan needs stricter laws and regulations to regulate social media.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, he said that he believes in freedom of expression but there should be limits to use of social media. In other countries, they have put in place and strict action is taken against anyone sharing fake news or video or character assassination of any person. There should be a law under which anyone found spreading rumours or false news is punished.

About the Bahawalnagar incident in which armymen stormed a police station and beat up police officials for raiding a house of a soldier, he said such incidents occur in other countries as well but win Pakistan it was blown out of proportion.

He said even two brothers fight over petty domestic issues. In India such incidents happen frequently but look at their handling of that type of incidents. 

Replying a question about the rising street crime in Karachi, he said the police there were fighting criminals even though there has been a marked increase in such incidents.

It may be mentioned here that Mr Naqvi was the caretaker chief minister of Punjab before the general elections on February 8 this year. He was made the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and later named as the interior minister after being in inducted into the Senate.