Attaullah Tarar proposes to establish National Cybersecurity, Social Media Awareness Council

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday proposed the establishment of a National Cybersecurity and Social Media Awareness Council to protect people from digital threats, Radio Pakistan reported.

He said this addressing the inaugural ceremony of Cyber Security Awareness Week 2026, organised by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in Islamabad.

The information minister said provincial governments, federal ministries and divisions, as well as other organisations, could be members of the proposed council.

He assured his full support for its establishment to ensure awareness initiatives are carried out at every level throughout the year.

Tarar said that, given the diverse aspects of cybersecurity, a more integrated and cohesive whole-of-government approach is needed to reach every citizen effectively.

He emphasised the need to include digital literacy in the curricula at school, college and university levels to educate children about emerging technological threats and ways to address them.

The minister called for a research-based system in which the curriculum is regularly updated in line with rapidly evolving technology.

“Digital literacy should be made compulsory for every citizen,” he said.

The information minister also stressed that every organisation in the country should establish a digital literacy cell. “Officers and bureaucracy should also receive training in this field,” he maintained.