NCCIA | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restrained the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) from harassing vlogger and journalist Asad Toor during the course of its inquiry. The agency had issued a notice to Toor on July 29 for an inquiry into “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information” by him. He was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31. Toor had challenged the summons in the IHC the following day, arguing that the NCCIA had failed to fulfil the legal requirements while issuing the notice and had not provided details of the allegations against him. The court had subsequently directed the agency to provide Toor with details of the allegations against him; his counsel argued that the agency had not specified the accusations, making it impossible for him to respond to the inquiry. On Thursday, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro heard the petition. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to provide vlogger and journalist Asad Toor with details of the allegations against him in connection with a summons issued by the agency. The agency had issued a notice to Toor on Wednesday for an inquiry into “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information” by him. He was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31. Toor challenged the summons in the IHC on Thursday, arguing that the NCCIA had failed to fulfil the legal requirements while issuing the notice and did not provide details of the allegations levelled against him. On Friday, Justice Mohammad Azam Khan took up Toor’s petition. Advocate Attaullah Kundi appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner. During the hearing, the court asked the petitioner’s counsel, “Why don’t you appear before the NCCIA? Don’t you have a defence?” Kundi replie...

ISLAMABAD: Vlogger and journalist Asad Ali Toor on Thursday challenged the notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Yesterday, the NCCIA issued a notice to Toor for an inquiry into “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information” by him. The journalist was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31. The petition, filed through Advocate Attaullah Kundi, names the interior secretary, the NCCIA and other relevant authorities as respondents. The petition requested the court to declare the notice issued by the NCCIA null and void and added that Toor reports on various matters, including judicial affairs. “It has been contended that the NCCIA failed to fulfil the legal requirements while issuing the notice and did not provide details of the allegations against him,” it stated. According to the petition, the NCCIA had summoned Toor for July 31. The petitioner f...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Wednesday issued a summons notice to journalist Asad Ali Toor for an inquiry into alleged dissemination of false information by him. The notice, available with Dawn, named the state as the complainant against Toor for “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information”. It was issued on a complaint filed under Section 26A (punishment for false and fake information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca). The journalist was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31. The NCCIA warned that failure to appear “without lawful excuse shall be deemed as your unwillingness to offer any defence, and the inquiry will proceed” in his absence. It added that non-compliance with the notice would be punishable under Section 174 (non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Toor, in a post on X, also shared the noti...

National Press Club demands withdrawal of NCCIA notice, says journalists' rights must be protected

LAHORE: A National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) official on Tuesday informed a sessions court that PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar had been found guilty of harassing actor Momina Iqbal after investigation. NCCIA Lahore Station House Officer (SHO) Najam Bajwa shared this as Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui took up pre-arrest bail petitions of the MPA and his wife, who was also named in the first information report registered after Iqbal’s harassment allegations. Chadhar and his wife appeared before the court upon the expiry of their previous pre-arrest interim bail. During the hearing, SHO Najam Bajwa informed the court that the investigation against Chadhar had been completed and he had been found guilty of the allegations levelled by Iqbal. He further told the court that Chadhar’s wife had surrendered her mobile phone to NCCIA two days ago and the device had been sent for forensic examination. For his part, the counsel for Iqbal urged the court to dismiss the suspects’ bail plea...

Court granted the NCCIA a final opportunity to file a detailed reply before the next hearing

Noreen's lawyer says NCCIA has directed her to appear on Tuesday; legal team seeks four weeks to respond

ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has summoned Noreen Niazi, sister of former incarcerated prime minister Imran Khan, to appear before it on Monday, July 20, over allegations of disseminating “false, offensive and inflammatory” content against state institutions. “You have been found to have disseminated false, offensive and inflammatory social media content to defame state institutions and spread fake narratives,” stated the NCCIA notice dated July 18 said. The agency directed her to appear at its G-13/3 office in Islamabad in connection with an inquiry. “In case of non-compliance, it will be assumed that you have nothing to present or state in your defence,” the notice further stated, adding that non-compliance was punishable under Section 174 of the Pakistan Penal Code. While the notice did not specify the content in relation to which Niazi has been summoned, it was issued after a clip of her making claims in relation to last year’s brief military conflict between Pakistan an...

LAHORE: A sessions court on Wednesday issued a notice to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on a petition seeking the registration of a case against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for allegedly making a controversial statement about security personnel. Fazl made the statement during a recent party rally in Punjab’s Kasur, where he spoke about the security situation and terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In this context, he referred to the frequent mention of soldiers’ martyrdom, adding that security personnel were drawing salaries to fight for the country. The petition, filed by citizen Mohammad Waqar, was heard by Additional District and Sessions Judge Malik Latif. Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, submitted that his client had watched a speech by the JUI-F chief on social media in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks about Pakistan’s martyrs. The counsel argued that the speech hurt the petitioner’s sentime...

• Summons agency’s chief for briefing on online portal, enforcement timelines • Senators seek briefing on revised mechanism for registration of blasphemy FIRs ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights expressed concern over the delay in processing of complaints by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the technical issues with its online complaint portal. In its meeting chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the body reviewed the NCCIA performance, delays in cybercrime complaint redressal, the procedure being followed in blasphemy-related cases and progress in the murder case of Lahore resident Ahmed Javed. Senator Quratulain Marri informed the meeting that a sustained online campaign had been launched against her and her family on social media, and that no effective action had been taken despite the filing of a formal complaint through legal counsel. The NCCIA officials told the committee that technical and operational constraints had affected the online complaint system....

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a six-day physical remand of podcast host Rehan Tariq in a case registered under blasphemy and electronic crime laws. The NCCIA registered a first information report (FIR) against YouTuber Tariq on June 25 after he conducted a podcast with a religious scholar and discussed highly sensitive and controversial sectarian issues, sparking controversy among followers of different sects. The FIR was registered under Section 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, Section 153-A (spreading hate or promoting enmity between different groups), Section 295-A (outraging religious feelings) and Section 298 (uttering words or making gestures with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code. During the hearing, the NCCIA produced Tariq before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo at the district courts. The investigating officer informed the magistrate that the YouTub...

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) will establish a dedicated special cell in Punjab to ensure the prompt registration, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrime cases involving women and children, according to an official statement. NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Wasim said in the statement on Wednesday that the initiative was aimed at providing the victim women and children with expedited legal assistance, protection and institutional support while ensuring that complaints were investigated without delay. “Cases involving online harassment, cyberstalking, blackmail, digital exploitation, identity theft, misuse or circulation of private photographs and videos, as well as other technology-enabled offences against women and minors will be processed through the newly established specialised unit,” he said. The official added that all such cases would remain under the direct supervision of the relevant deputy director to ensure close monitoring, swift investigations, and effecti...

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Lahore has arrested two suspects allegedly involved in blackmailing and harassing women by threatening to leak their private photos and videos on social media.

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has begun prioritising complaints against individuals involved in blackmail, harassment and harming the “dignity and reputation of women”, and arrested 10 alleged “harassers” on Saturday in different parts of Punjab. “The NCCIA is according the highest priority to complaints involving the harassment, exploitation, and blackmailing of women in the digital space,” NCCIA Punjab chief Muhammad Ali Waseem told Dawn. “While the NCCIA remains committed to addressing all forms of cybercrime and is making every effort to facilitate complainants, cases related to the online harassment, intimidation, and blackmailing of women are being treated on a priority basis,” he said. Waseem added that, given the serious psychological, social and reputational harm such offences can inflict on victims, the agency was ensuring swift action and dedicated attention to such complaints to provide timely relief and bring perpetrators to justice. It is worth noting that a large...

ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Monday challenged before the Supreme Court its May 12 order that required the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to decide in two weeks the sentence suspension pleas of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial social media posts case. Meanwhile, despite the SC’s May 26 deadline having passed already, the IHC today, on the request of the prosecution, adjourned the hearing of Imaan and Hadi’s pleas seeking suspension of their sentences. The husband-wife duo were sentenced in the case on January 24, with subsequent petitions being filed against their conviction in early February. On May 12, more than three months after the pleas were filed, the SC gave the IHC two weeks to decide on the lawyer couple’s petitions. On Monday, the NCCIA requested the SC to recall and withdraw that order to help preserve the “sanctity and independence of the judiciary, maintaining equality among citizens and avoiding discriminatory treatme...

ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has busted a gang allegedly selling sensitive personal data of government officers to foreign entities, arresting four people in South Punjab. NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali told a press conference on Friday that the group was obtaining and selling call records, CNICs and passports of key officers. The arrested suspects were identified as Arshad Tariq, Arham Bari, Anam Sabir and Mohammad Rizwan. Forensic examinations of their mobile phones have been conducted. Ali said the suspects were sharing the data with foreign intelligence agencies, calling it “organised espionage and cybercrime.” The agency has registered cases over the illegal transfer of data outside Pakistan and is examining institutional staff emails to determine how the information was accessed. NCCIA has directed government institutions to strengthen data security and ensure information is not accessed by unauthorised individuals, adding that responsibility for safeguarding...

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Tuesday launched a crackdown on ‘anti-state’ social media activities, arresting 13 individuals in Punjab. “In a province-wide crackdown against anti-state social media activities, the NCCIA has arrested 13 individuals from different cities of Punjab during the last couple of weeks,” a spokesperson for NCCIA told Dawn. He said the crackdown has been launched on the instructions of NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem, who recently took charge. Those arrested were involved in running a campaign against the state, particularly the army and government functionaries, across various social media platforms, he added. Two of them were also allegedly involved in posting content targeting Gulf countries. The arrested suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. According to the spokesperson, social media activists Usman, Qamar, Abbas, and Tahir Mushtaq have been arrested from Lahore; Hami...

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate at a district court on Wednesday issued a notice to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) while hearing a bail petition of a Canadian national who was arrested in a cybercrime case. Hamza Ahmed Khan, who was pursuing doctoral research, had reportedly gone missing last week, leading to the registration of a first information report. He turned up in NCCIA’s custody on Monday and was sent to jail on judicial remand. Subsequently, he filed for post-arrest bail. On Wednesday, Advocate Asad Jamal appeared before the magistrate on behalf of Khan. During the hearing, the magistrate directed the NCCIA’s investigating officer to submit a record of the case on Thursday. In his petition, the applicant alleged that he was abducted on the night between Feb 18 and 19, while travelling in a cab in Lahore. The petitioner claimed that the first information report (FIR) against him by the FIA’s cyber crime wing was registered a day later on Feb 21, with “malafide intentions” to conc...

LAHORE: A Canadian national pursuing doctoral research, who went missing last week, has turned up in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The agency on Monday produced Hamza Ahmad Khan before a magistrate, who sent him to jail for 14 days on judicial remand. On Sunday, police registered a case on kidnapping charges on the complaint of his friend. According to the first information report, Hamza went missing in the early hours of Feb 19 after leaving his residence in DHA Phase 10, according to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Defence-A police station. On Monday, it emerged that Hamza was in NCCIA custody for allegedly making anti-state posts on social media platforms X and Instagram. In the FIR registered against him by the NCCIA, the cybercrime agency said that during routine cyber patrols, accounts associated with Hamza were actively “disseminating misinformation and disinformation targeting the state institutions”. The FIR, a copy of which is available wi...