Islamabad, The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) have agreed to collaborate on raising awareness to combat blasphemous activities on the internet and social media. This joint effort aims to spread awareness across university administrations, faculty, and students, encouraging them to contribute to eradicating such activities from society.

According to Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the agreement was solidified during a meeting between HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman. Both leaders expressed a strong commitment to deepening their collaboration and maximizing outcomes through joint academic ventures.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed acknowledged the efforts of PTA in promoting safe, responsible, and productive internet use, including receiving the SAMENA international LEAD award for its commitment to ensuring child and youth safety online. He highlighted HEC’s flagship initiatives, such as the ‘Pakistan Education Research Network’ (PERN) and the establishment of 100 smart classrooms at universities, as platforms to promote responsible cyberspace usage among stakeholders, especially the youth.

Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman lauded HEC’s initiative and affirmed PTA’s dedication to addressing challenges in responsible cyberspace usage. PTA has engaged in consultative meetings with religious scholars and collaborated with international organizations like UNICEF, TikTok, and Telenor Pakistan for this purpose. The partnership between HEC and PTA is envisioned to reduce the circulation of unlawful content and activities on the internet and to encourage young people to engage in productive online activities.

Both organizations have pledged ongoing support for issues of mutual national interest.