Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi made a significant announcement during a Senate session presided over by Mirza Muhammad Afridi. Tangi withdrew his resolution seeking a ban on all social media platforms following protests from fellow lawmakers in the House.
In his statement, Tangi emphasized the democratic right of every member to propose legislation, resolutions, or motions. However, he acknowledged the importance of consensus and discussion within the legislative process. Recognizing objections from colleagues and the public, Tangi exercised his right to withdraw the resolution.
The resolution aimed to ban Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube in Pakistan, citing concerns about their negative impact on the young generation and allegations of creating hatred based on language and religion.
The development occurred amid a partial outage of X (formerly Twitter) services since Feb 17, following public admission of vote rigging on Feb 8.
Tangi’s decision to withdraw the resolution came after he faced expulsion from the PPP for remaining silent during a Senate session when Independent Senator Dilawar Khan moved a resolution seeking postponement of general elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Lawmakers protested when Tangi attempted to discuss his resolution, highlighting the diversity of opinions within the House. Despite attempts to address concerns and clarify his intentions, Tangi faced continued protests, delaying the proceedings.
However, the session chaired by the deputy chairman witnessed the passage of six bills, including the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023. Several other bills were introduced and referred to the concerning standing committees for further review and discussion.
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