Govt appoints Ayaz Shaukat as first SMPRA Chief amid concerns over digital curbs

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has appointed Ayaz Shaukat as the first chairman of the newly formed Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), marking a major step in enforcing expanded digital regulations under cybercrime laws.

Currently serving as Islamabad’s Advocate General, Shaukat is expected to resign after Eidul Fitr to assume his new role at the authority, established under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2025.

The government has also notified five members — Sohail Iqbal, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Muhammad Saad Ali — while two remaining slots will be filled by a journalist and a software engineer. The chairman and members will serve five-year terms.

SMPRA will function as an autonomous corporate body headquartered in Islamabad, with powers to regulate social media platforms, including licensing, content oversight, and enforcement actions.

Under the amended law, the authority can block or suspend platforms for non-compliance, issue fines, enforce content removal, and establish complaint redressal mechanisms. It is also tasked with promoting online safety, coordinating with international bodies, and strengthening digital sector capacity.

However, the move has drawn criticism from rights groups. Amnesty International previously warned that amendments to cybercrime laws could tighten state control over Pakistan’s digital space, while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan cautioned that such changes risk undermining fundamental freedoms.

The original PECA law, introduced in 2016, has long been criticised by activists as a tool to suppress dissent, with the new regulatory authority likely to intensify that debate.