Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan addressed the 24th Meeting of Prosecutors and Attorneys General from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on Thursday. He emphasized the urgent need for practical regional collaboration to preserve traditional family values, shield children from online exploitation, and enhance the accountability of digital platforms.
The high-level meeting, hosted by the Russian Federation and its Prosecutor General’s Office, gathered senior legal officials from SCO countries to focus on protecting family values and preventing the spread of illegal content targeting minors. In his opening remarks, Awan expressed gratitude to the hosts and underscored the importance of converting shared goals into effective prevention strategies, lawful investigations, prosecutions, and substantial protection for child victims.
He highlighted the pivotal role of families in offering care, guidance, and security, noting that safeguarding children requires a combination of social support and legal protections. Awan detailed Pakistan’s initiatives to bolster child protection, such as the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017, and the National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard. This Dashboard consolidates data from federal and provincial bodies to track violations, identify shortcomings, and guide protective efforts.
Addressing the challenges of online offenses against minors, Awan pointed to the dangers posed by perpetrators who exploit children’s trust, hide their identities, and operate transnationally. He cited Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, which addresses issues like online grooming, solicitation, cyber enticement, and commercial sexual exploitation of children. He also stressed the need for specialized investigations, swift preservation of electronic evidence, protection of children’s identities, and victim support throughout legal proceedings.
Regarding digital platform accountability, the Attorney General outlined Pakistan’s legal framework for securing electronic evidence and recent 2025 regulations concerning social media oversight and complaint mechanisms. He advocated for accessible reporting channels, rapid action against child sexual abuse materials, and thorough preservation of relevant evidence. Public awareness campaigns to educate children and parents about online risks and safety tools were also emphasized.
He proposed three key priorities for regional cooperation: establishing designated contact points to expedite urgent referrals and evidence preservation through existing legal frameworks; conducting joint training on handling digital evidence, interviewing child victims, and preparing effective mutual legal assistance requests; and organizing research and expert meetings to develop practical guidelines on platform responses, content filtering in schools, and protecting children’s data. He called for ongoing review to ensure these initiatives yield tangible results.
Attorney General Awan concluded by urging, “Let us translate our commitments into practical measures that support families, protect children from exploitation, and uphold their dignity and rights.” He recalled the words of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, from a 1947 educational conference: “What we have to do is to mobilise our people and build up the character of our future generations.” He noted that this shared responsibility among families, educators, and public institutions extends to securing the digital spaces where children learn, interact, and grow.
