On Monday, Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) retracted a proposal to prohibit key social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube following significant resistance from Senate colleagues.
Tangi had initially proposed the resolution to ban social media outlets, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and YouTube, citing potential misuse that could harm the nation’s interests and negatively impact the youth.
During the Senate session, opposition arose, notably from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed, leading to uproar and preventing Tangi from discussing his proposal. Senator Mushtaq emphasized the importance of political and media freedoms as democratic rights in Pakistan. At the same time, Senator Saifullah Abro criticized the resolution’s inclusion in the Senate agenda, claiming it disrespected millions of young citizens and linked those supporting the resolution to demands for election delays.
After failing to speak due to the disruptions and facing the consensus of the majority against his motion, Tangi withdrew his proposal, stating that every Senate member has the right to introduce or retract a resolution or legislative motion.
The PPP later distanced itself from Tangi’s resolution, stating he was not acting on behalf of the party. It was revealed that Tangi had been issued a show-cause notice for departing from party policy and had not responded satisfactorily. Consequently, the PPP terminated Tangi’s basic membership for violating party discipline and failing to address the notice regarding his stance on a resolution that sought to delay the February 8 elections.
