Actress Sadia Imam has urged the government to introduce stricter social media regulations with clear age restrictions, saying that unrestricted access to the internet is putting children at serious risk.
In a video message shared on her Instagram account, she said that the rising number of child abuse cases across the country has left her “broken” and demanded urgent action from authorities.
Imam referred to several recent incidents, including the assault and murder of a four-year-old girl in Gujrat, the assault of a mentally disabled girl in Bhakkar, and cases involving minors in Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Bannu. Reflecting on the report on Ayat Noor, she asked, “How cruel, how brutal, how inhuman can someone be?”
She said that children today are exposed to harm partly because they have unchecked access to social media at very young ages. Pointing to global practices, she said, “Countries around the world have regulations regarding children’s access to social media,” and argued Pakistan needs the same protection. She called directly for lawmakers to “bring laws regulating social media as well,” with clear age limits on who can use these platforms.
Imam also linked the visibility of abuse cases to social media itself, noting that many such incidents would never have reached the public before these platforms existed. She said that that reality makes it even more urgent for the state to regulate how children interact online, rather than leaving parents and families to manage the risks alone.
Beyond the call for a social media policy, Imam pressed for faster justice for victims of abuse. She asked why no medical staff at PIMS Hospital faced consequences after children died in a fire there, and referenced past cases including Zainab and Noor Mukadam. “Why does justice have to take years,” she asked, calling for swift trials and severe punishment once guilt is proven.
She said parents also carry responsibility, asking: “Are we teaching our daughters to speak up when something is wrong?” She encouraged parents to raise sons who intervene when they see someone being harassed, rather than filming it on their phones.
Imam closed her message by appealing directly to the public and to those in power, saying silence and inaction make people complicit. “They are all responsible,” she said, referring to those who protect or ignore abusers. She added, “Please, enough is enough,” calling on others in the public eye to keep raising the issue rather than letting it fade behind entertainment and daily routine.
Sadia began her career in the late 1990s. She won the Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress in 2002, and is known for dramas including Jab Jab Dil Miley, Colony 52, Dorhi, Tapish, Anokha Bandhan, Aangan Bhar Chandni, Koonj, and Aasman.
She has also worked as a television host.
