• Says ban on VPNs, slow internet doesn’t affect ‘babus, politicians in Islamabad’; vows to table draft law in parliament following public consultation
• Calls for abandoning regressive approaches of the past, warns Pakistan not prepared for climate change challenge
HYDERABAD: PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday distanced himself from the government’s policies on two important fronts Digital Bill of Rights and Climate Change Action — as he floated the idea of a ‘bill of rights’ for the digital age, and called for revisiting the country’s development spending to align it with the challenges thrown up by the unstoppable march of climate change.
In wide-ranging remarks covering an array of topics at the convocation of the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, the PPP chairman made a case against the six canal project that has become a bone of contention between Sindh and federal government.
He also declared that neither Pakistan nor the world was ready to face the threat of climate change, and called on the youth of the country not to repeat the mistakes of previous generations and fail to plan for the impending challenges that this phenomenon would bring with it.
Historically, he said, people were controlled in different ways in the past. “Now, a similar attempt is being made in the shape [of controlling] bandwidth, optical fibre and wireless internet.”
This, he maintained, showed how much power the youth have in their hands. They are scared that if you start using the internet collectively, you will be demanding your rights, He said.
“I am seeking your help because your and my rights are being robbed,” he declared, saying that it was time to draft a ‘Digital Bill of Rights and Climate Change Action’.
“Our infrastructure used to be roads, highways motorways,” he said. “In today’s age, I believe it’s our bandwidth, our fibre optic cable, our wireless internet services.”
Students and the youth should write its draft, he said, adding: “Let’s do it collectively… I don’t want to write all alone. Share your suggestions with me on Instagram, Facebook, and X”.
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