Islamabad: A subcommittee meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting revealed that nearly 20% of social media accounts in Pakistan are fake and are being used for crimes such as fraud, harassment, and blackmail.
During the meeting, officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) informed that out of 13 cases registered against journalists, 11 were dismissed after initial investigations, while 689 cybercrime cases involving ordinary citizens were registered.
According to officials, after recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025, no police station is authorized to register cybercrime FIRs directly. All such cases are now referred to the NCCIA. However, if an online activity leads to a traditional crime, two separate FIRs can be registered—one with the NCCIA for the cyber aspect and another with the relevant police station.
It was further stated that proposals are under consideration to establish provincial-level institutions in Punjab and Sindh on the pattern of NCCIA to share the workload. Under the PECA Act, 29 types of cyber offenses have been identified, and 370 cybercrime cases were registered in Punjab between 2020 and 2025.
The briefing also revealed that around 140 million people in Pakistan are active in cyberspace. In Punjab alone, approximately 500 online crime cases are currently under investigation.
Sindh Police reported that 55 cybercrime cases were registered in the province, including one involving a journalist, while 33 cases have already been transferred to the NCCIA. Islamabad Police stated that since September 14, 2025, no new cybercrime FIR has been registered, and all cases are being forwarded to the NCCIA.
NCCIA officials added that the agency received approximately 154,000 complaints over the past year. At the conclusion of the meeting, Senator Sarmad Ali emphasized the need to further strengthen the NCCIA, directing that all relevant cases be transferred to the agency on a priority basis and that detailed reports be presented in the next meeting.
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