Just a few days back, Information Minister Atta Tarar spoke on the subject of public use of digital platforms and freedom of speech. He was invited by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) to speak on what is a burning topic of discussion in the country.

Some of the observations he made on the subject were: cyber laws aim at curbing digital threats and not silence free speech; legislations are designed to improve accountability in the online space and protect vulnerable communities; the government intends to make online spaces safer, particularly for women and vulnerable communities; and the digital space must protect, not endanger, those already at risk in society.

These are all valid observations; however, the information minister's remarks do not address the subject of public opinion, use of digital platforms, and freedom of speech in their entirety.

What the information minister said represents the top-down view about the issue. There is a bottom-up view as well, and unless both views are well considered and deliberated, we may not develop the desired synergy and the right sense of purpose to address a critical problem faced by our country.

Public opinion is all about ideas, and in every idea lies a story of a person, a moment, or a place in time. When I think about the idea of Pakistan, the one big idea that dwarfs all others is Pakistan becoming a modern democratic welfare state.

A variety of people have a variety of abstract thoughts about what to make of Pakistan and its future, but the job of........

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