Tarar calls for mandatory AI labelling and international convention on disinformation

ISLAMABAD (Nazrana Times): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar called for mandatory labelling of AI-generated content, stronger fact-checking by social media platforms and local offices for those platforms in Pakistan. He also proposed an international convention to address misinformation and disinformation.

Tarar delivered the keynote address at a plenary titled “Rethinking Development in Post-truth Era” on Thursday, the concluding day of the four-day Sustainable Development Conference organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) at Allama Iqbal Open University. The conference’s overarching theme was “Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption”.

Algorithms now act as information gatekeepers

The minister said the gatekeeper of information was now an algorithm designed to maximise engagement, without an inherent system for verifying accuracy.

He said he had been urging platforms to make AI labelling mandatory, noting that TikTok had already introduced such requirements. He cited X’s Community Notes feature as a mechanism that could help identify old videos being presented as footage of new events.

Tarar said AI labelling should be supported by a regulatory and legal framework. He also highlighted risks to creative industries, including advertising and filmmaking, saying human input remained necessary.

International framework proposed against disinformation

The minister said he had proposed an international convention on misinformation and disinformation during recent visits to partner countries. He envisaged a framework involving an international body and participating member states.

Discussing the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), Tarar said its purpose was to prevent crimes in cyberspace and the digital sphere. He maintained that the law did not restrict freedom of expression or prevent journalists from performing their professional duties.

He said the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) was establishing regional offices and training staff. He added that a Social Media Regulation and Protection Authority had been established and its chairperson appointed.

Support proposed for online harassment victims

Tarar proposed counselling and support for victims of online harassment. He said women were particularly vulnerable to online harassment and blackmail, calling for effective trial, prosecution and conviction processes to ensure offenders were punished.

He also called for stronger defamation laws so that people would not need to pursue cases abroad. He said there would eventually be a need to define who qualifies as a broadcaster.

Public trust and information rights must be protected: Suleri

In his opening remarks, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the conference had examined disruptions arising from floods, recent geopolitical developments, supply-route closures, climate change and energy challenges. He said disruptions to energy supply routes had adverse effects throughout the economy.

Suleri said disruption in the information sphere was also a challenge for Western countries, citing fabricated information surrounding US elections.

Recalling the May India-Pakistan conflict, he said friends in India had telephoned to ask whether the “Lahore port” had been destroyed, despite Lahore having no sea access. He said he was subsequently asked about an alleged attack on Islamabad airport after images circulated claiming to show it burning.

He stressed that governments must maintain public trust and credibility while protecting the right to information and freedom of expression. These responsibilities, he said, must accompany efforts to prevent misinformation and the deliberate or selective presentation of facts.

Allama Iqbal Open University Vice-Chancellor Dr Nasir Javed and Dr Suleri presented a memento to the information minister.

Tax and financing reforms proposed to support exports

Earlier, addressing a session titled “Private Sector Growth and the Fiscal Policy Agenda”, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Bilal Azhar Kayani said the government planned to reform tax policy, improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises and encourage banks to lend to export-oriented businesses.

He said the measures were intended to accelerate export growth and help Pakistan break its recurring boom-and-bust cycle.

Kayani said the government would differentiate between banks that extended credit to agriculture and SMEs and those reluctant to finance these sectors. He emphasised policy predictability and a business-friendly tax regime to encourage investment, exports and employment.

He acknowledged a trust deficit between businesses and the government, saying policy announcements often failed to produce results because of implementation problems and multiple regulatory requirements imposed by federal and provincial agencies.

Ambassador Abrar H. Hashmi, Additional Secretary for the Special Investment Facilitation Council and Economic Diplomacy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said attracting and retaining investment depended on more than the availability of opportunities. Investor confidence, policy stability and regulatory consistency were equally important, he said.

Stronger collection and recycling systems needed

At another session, titled “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Better Systems in Pakistan”, Minister of State for Climate Change Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal called for stronger waste collection, segregation and recycling systems.

She acknowledged the significant role of informal waste collectors and highlighted difficulties created by differing plastic regulations and enforcement approaches across jurisdictions.

The minister also discussed the Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations 2023 and Pakistan’s participation in the Global Plastic Action Partnership, which it joined in 2022. She said the partnership had led to the development of a National Action Roadmap to reduce plastic pollution.