Atta Tarar Calls for National Cybersecurity Council, Mandatory AI Content Labelling
Pakistan Plans Coordinated Strategy Against Cyber Threats Through Proposed Council
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Cyber Security Awareness Week 2026, organised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the minister called for making digital literacy a compulsory part of the curricula at schools, colleges and universities.
He stressed that educational content should be regularly updated to keep pace with technological developments. He also proposed mandatory labelling of artificial intelligence-generated content so that social media users could distinguish between authentic and AI-created material.
Tarar noted that TikTok had so far made AI-generated content labelling mandatory among social media platforms, emphasising that users should be clearly informed about the nature of the content they view.
The minister also proposed establishing digital literacy cells in every government institution and providing public-sector employees with training on digital technologies and online security.
He said a one-week awareness campaign was insufficient to address the growing challenges of cybersecurity and social media, calling for continuous efforts to tackle misinformation, deepfakes and the misuse of personal data.
Highlighting the absence of a uniform digital literacy curriculum in Pakistan, Tarar said children needed to be educated about the safe use of social media and ways to protect themselves from online threats.
He called for developing targeted awareness campaigns for different sections of society rather than relying on a single communication strategy.
“The right message must reach the right audience through the right format,” he said, adding that micro-influencers could help communicate digital safety messages to specific communities.
Warning about online privacy risks, the minister said even a single click could expose citizens’ private lives and personal information to unauthorised access.
Under the proposed council, relevant federal ministries, divisions and provincial governments would work together to develop a coordinated national strategy against cybersecurity threats. Tarar assured that the federal government and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would provide full support for the initiative.
He said the proposed council could also facilitate the work of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). He added that the NCCIA had started functioning as an institution and could support the PTA in addressing cyber-related challenges.
The minister further said Pakistan’s first Digital Communication Department had been established in the Ministry of Information to strengthen the government’s digital communication capabilities.
He appreciated the contributions of the PTA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in policy development, regulation, implementation and public awareness, saying that equipping citizens with awareness and practical solutions to digital challenges would be an important national service.
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