Senate panel reviews cybercrime FIRs and NCCIA performance

ISLAMABAD: (News Desk)-  A meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Sarmad Ali to review cybercrime cases, FIR registrations, and the evolving role of investigative agencies.

Officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, provincial police departments, and legal experts briefed the committee on ongoing investigations and procedural developments under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2025.

The committee was informed that 13 FIRs had been registered against journalists, out of which 11 were dismissed after preliminary investigation. Authorities also reported 689 cybercrime FIRs involving the general public, with around 500 cases currently under investigation in Punjab alone.

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Under the revised legal framework, participants were told that local police stations are no longer authorized to directly register cybercrime FIRs. Instead, all complaints are now routed to NCCIA for investigation. However, in cases involving both online and offline offences, separate FIRs may be registered with NCCIA and provincial police.

Officials said 29 offences are defined under the PECA law, and coordination between NCCIA and provincial police has been strengthened to ensure effective handling of complex cases. The Punjab representative noted that 370 cybercrime FIRs were registered between 2020 and 2025.

During the briefing, it was highlighted that Pakistan has around 140 million active internet users, while nearly 20% of social media accounts are suspected to be fake and often linked to fraud, harassment, or blackmail activities.

Provincial representatives stressed the need for stronger collaboration and suggested establishing provincial cybercrime units similar to NCCIA to improve workload management. Similar proposals are also under consideration in Punjab and Sindh.

The Sindh Police reported 55 cybercrime FIRs in the province, including one involving a journalist, with 33 cases transferred to NCCIA. Islamabad Police stated that cybercrime FIRs are now fully being referred to NCCIA, with the last local registration recorded in September 2025.

NCCIA officials informed the committee that the agency received approximately 154,000 complaints in the past year and is working on finalizing its operational rules, which have been submitted to the Ministry of Interior for approval. They also noted ongoing coordination with provincial police and international platforms, with social media companies responding to Pakistan’s data requests at a rate of 83%.

Chairman Senator Sarmad Ali emphasized the need to further strengthen NCCIA’s capacity and directed that all relevant cybercrime cases be transferred on priority. The committee also instructed authorities to submit detailed reports on pending and transferred cases in the next meeting.