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Ayaz Shaukat Appointed First Chairman of Pakistan’s Social Media Regulatory Authority
Pakistan forms the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA) to oversee digital platforms. Ayaz Shaukat appointed as its first chairman.
ND
by News Desk
2026-03-19
Ayaz Shaukat Appointed First Chairman of Pakistan’s Social Media Regulatory Authority

The federal government has appointed lawyer and current Islamabad Advocate General, Ayaz Shaukat, as the first chairman of the newly formed Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA). Sources indicate Shaukat is expected to resign from his current position after Eidul Fitr vacations to take on his new role.

Established under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, SMPRA will function as a corporate body with the authority to sue and be sued. The eight-member authority, headquartered in Islamabad, may also set up regional offices in provincial capitals and other parts of the country.

Alongside Shaukat, five members—Sohail Iqbal, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Muhammad Saad Ali—have been appointed. The remaining two positions are reserved for a journalist and a software engineer. Members, including the chairman, will serve a five-year term.

SMPRA’s mandate is broad, covering regulation of unlawful or offensive content, platform registration and licensing, issuing fines, and blocking non-compliant platforms either partially or fully. It will also develop guidelines and standards for digital platforms, provide complaint redressal, promote online safety, facilitate research and awareness, and coordinate with international organizations to strengthen Pakistan’s digital sector.

The creation of SMPRA has drawn criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International warned that the new law could “tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape,” while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed concerns that amendments may curb fundamental rights. Critics argue that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, introduced in 2016, has been used primarily to suppress dissent.

Despite these concerns, the federal government has emphasized SMPRA’s role in ensuring online safety and regulating social media content in accordance with the law.
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SocialMediaRegulation

DigitalSafety

PECA2025

SMPRA
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