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Pakistan sets up National Cybercrime Investigation Agency amid digital crackdown concerns

Pakistan sets up National Cybercrime Investigation Agency amid digital crackdown concerns
The undated file photo shows staff at the National Response Centre For Cyber Crime at Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency. (Photo courtesy: FIA/ website)
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Updated 22 April 2025
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Pakistan sets up National Cybercrime Investigation Agency amid digital crackdown concerns

Pakistan sets up National Cybercrime Investigation Agency amid digital crackdown concerns
  • The development comes months after Pakistan introduced new law to regulate social media content, which provides for a regulator with its own investigation agency, tribunals
  • Journalists have long complained of increasing state pressure on traditional and digital media in Pakistan, which is ranked 152nd out of 180 countries on press freedom index
Updated 22 April 2025
NAIMAT KHAN
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KARACHI: Pakistan has transformed the Cybercrime Wing of its Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into an autonomous organization and named the new agency as the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the FIA said on Tuesday, amid digital crackdown concerns in the South Asian country.
The development comes months after Pakistan introduced a new law to regulate social media content, with journalist groups and rights activists saying it is aimed at curbing press freedom and dissent on social media.
Enacted in 2016 and further tightened with amendments this January, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was drafted with the stated aim to combat cybercrimes such as hacking, online harassment, and data breaches.
In its statement on Tuesday, the FIA said the Pakistani government had given autonomous status to its erstwhile cybercrime wing in view of the “growing threats of cybercrime” and transformed it into the NCCIA.
“This new organization has been established under the name of National Cybercrime Investigation Agency, which has full authority to prevent, investigate and prosecute cybercrime across the country,” it said.
“This organization will take effective measures against online fraud, harassment, digital blackmail, fake websites, identity theft, social media crime and other cyber activities.”
The FIA said the public will now have to contact the NCCIA for the sake of investigation or complaints relating to cybercrimes, the FIA said, adding that the new agency could be reached at helpline number 0519106691 or email [email protected].
The development comes weeks after the Freedom Network, a Pakistani media and development sector watchdog, said the new social media law was being used as a “tool” by state authorities to suppress freedom of expression and target journalists. It released a data analysis for March 2025 documenting eight instances of threats against journalists, with three cases directly involving the contentious PECA legislation.
Pakistani officials have defended the PECA law, which provides for a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals, according to a draft on the parliament’s website. Such tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200) for dissemination of “false or fake” information.
“This is the first time the government has defined what social media is,” Information Minister Ataullah Tarar told reporters after the amended law was passed this year.
“There is already a system in place for print and electronic media and complaints can be registered against them.”
Journalists have long complained of increasing state pressure on traditional and digital media in Pakistan, which is ranked 152nd out of 180 countries on press freedom index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a media watchdog that promotes and defends press freedom.
Social media platform X is officially banned in Pakistan, but accessible using VPNs, while YouTube and TikTok have faced bans in the past.

Topics: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)

Pakistan praises Islamic Development Bank’s anti-polio efforts, with $587 million disbursed since 2013

Pakistan praises Islamic Development Bank’s anti-polio efforts, with $587 million disbursed since 2013
Updated 16 min 37 sec ago
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Pakistan praises Islamic Development Bank’s anti-polio efforts, with $587 million disbursed since 2013

Pakistan praises Islamic Development Bank’s anti-polio efforts, with $587 million disbursed since 2013
  • PM’s focal person for polio eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, meets IsDB delegation in Islamabad
  • IsDB is one of largest financiers of Pakistan’s anti-polio program, announced $587 million loan in 2023
Updated 16 min 37 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani prime minister’s aide on polio eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, on Tuesday acknowledged the Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB) financial and strategic contributions to sustain its anti-polio program in the country. 

The IsDB has contributed over $587 million to eradicate poliovirus from Pakistan since 2013, making it one of the largest financiers of the country’s anti-polio program. It announced a loan of $100 million in December 2023 to support Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts. 

Farooq met a high-level delegation of the IsDB’s Regional Hub in Turkiye at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme said. 

“The Islamic Development Bank has been a pillar of strength for the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, especially during its most challenging phases,” Farooq was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s anti-polio program. 

“Your financial and strategic contributions have been instrumental in sustaining the program and ensuring that vaccination campaigns reach the most vulnerable children across the country.”

Pakistan is only one of two countries worldwide where polio remains endemic. The Pakistani government launched a seven-day nationwide campaign on Monday to vaccinate over 45 million children against the disease. 

Dr. Walid Mohamad Abdelwahab, director of the IsDB’s regional hub in Turkiye, reaffirmed the institution’s support for Pakistan in achieving a polio-free future, the statement said. He commended Pakistan for its efforts and collaboration in the fight against polio, it added. 

The delegation briefly visited the NEOC control room following the meeting, where they were informed about the national reach of the campaign. The IsDB delegation was told the campaign would cover over 45.4 million children through the efforts of more than 400,000 frontline health workers via door-to-door vaccinations.

“IsDB commended the Government of Pakistan’s relentless efforts and reaffirmed its support in reaching the last mile of polio eradication,” Pakistan’s anti-polio program said.

In 2024, Pakistan reported an alarming 74 polio cases. The country’s polio program, launched in 1994, has faced persistent challenges including vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners, who claim immunization is a foreign conspiracy to sterilize Muslim children or a guise for Western espionage. 

Militant groups have also repeatedly targeted and killed polio vaccination workers during nationwide drives.

Topics: anti-polio program polio eradication Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Pakistan looks to boost US imports, remove non-tariff barriers to escape Trump measures

Pakistan looks to boost US imports, remove non-tariff barriers to escape Trump measures
Updated 36 min 20 sec ago
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Pakistan looks to boost US imports, remove non-tariff barriers to escape Trump measures

Pakistan looks to boost US imports, remove non-tariff barriers to escape Trump measures
  • Pakistan’s government mulling options which range from importing crude oil from the US to abolishing tariffs on American imports
  • Islamabad is trying to appease the US to seek reprieve from the 29 percent reciprocal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last month
Updated 36 min 20 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Bloomberg this week Pakistan is looking to buy more goods from the US and remove non-tariffs barriers to escape President Donald Trump’s high tariffs.

Pakistan’s government is mulling options, which range from importing crude oil from the US to abolishing tariffs on American imports, as Islamabad attempts to offset a trade imbalance that has triggered higher tariffs from Washington. 

“It’s a bigger canvas that we are looking at in terms of engaging the US,” Aurangzeb said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Monday ahead of the IMF-World Bank spring meetings in Washington. “We will constructively engage, and we will have a formal delegation coming in.”

Pakistan is looking to buy more cotton and soybean from the US, the finance chief said, adding that it is also in talks to tear down non-trade barriers to open its markets to more US products.

“We can also look at if there are any issues with respect to non-tariff discussion, whether there are any onerous inspections at our end for US products, we can obviously view that.”

Islamabad is trying to appease the US to seek reprieve from the 29 percent reciprocal tariffs imposed by Trump. While those levies are on hold until July, Pakistan has said it will send a trade delegation to Washington in the coming months to bridge the trade gap. 

The US is Pakistan’s largest export market with over $5 billion in annual exports as of 2024, while Pakistan’s imports from the US are about $2.1 billion.

The finance minister said the country is also open to foreign direct investments from US firms in its recently opened minerals and mining sectors.

Aurangzeb, a close aide of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is in the US for a nearly week-long trip to participate in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The former JPMorgan Chase & Co. banker said that the crisis-ridden nation will tap the international capital markets to secure more funds for a sustainable growth.

“What we are looking for is how we get away from a boom-and-bust cycle which Pakistan has gone through and get on to a sustainable growth path,” he told Bloomberg. 

Pakistan is preparing to debut its first-ever Panda bond in the range of $200 million to $250 million that will likely take place in the fourth quarter of this year, the minister added.

Authorities are trying to rebuild Pakistan’s tattered economy after it came close to a default in 2023. Last month, the South Asian nation won an initial nod for a $2.3 billion IMF loan that will give it funding visibility until 2027. 

Last week, Fitch upgraded Pakistan’s credit rating, citing confidence that the South Asian country will be able to sustain reforms under the IMF loan program.

Topics: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb Dnald Trump Donald Trump's tariff

Breaking barriers: Women fuel change at Pakistan’s male-dominated petrol pumps

Breaking barriers: Women fuel change at Pakistan’s male-dominated petrol pumps
Updated 10 min 42 sec ago
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Breaking barriers: Women fuel change at Pakistan’s male-dominated petrol pumps

Breaking barriers: Women fuel change at Pakistan’s male-dominated petrol pumps
  • While fuel stations have been predominantly staffed by men, there is a growing movement toward gender inclusivity
  • In the federal capital of Islamabad, hundreds of women are now working alongside male staff at fuel stations
Updated 10 min 42 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Clad in a crisp blue uniform and gripping the nozzle with practiced ease, Sumeera Bibi pumped fuel into the tank of a car, gesturing to the driver to check the reading on the dispenser machine. 

While fuel stations in Pakistan have been traditionally staffed by men, there is a growing movement toward gender inclusivity, with some stations now employing women like Sumeera as attendants. 

One notable example was the launch last year of Pakistan’s first all-female staffed fuel station, located in Johar Town, Lahore. 

In the federal capital of Islamabad also, hundreds of women are now working alongside male staff at fuel stations.

“Since getting this job, I have been able to care for my children on my own and overcome all my problems,” Sumeera, a mother of five, told Arab News on Monday at a Pakistan State Oil station on Constitution Avenue, home to major government buildings and embassies.

Getting the job has been life changing for Sumeera, married for years to a drug addict, before the relationship spiraled out of control and she was forced to move in with her sister.

“There were many difficulties as I had no job and was dependent on my sister,” said Sumeera, who works an 8 am-6pm shift six days a week.

“We faced many problems in the beginning, especially when customers would often try to touch our hands while returning their [credit] cards,” she said.

But getting a timely salary, annual bonus, free medical care and the means to raise and educate her children without being dependent on anyone have made all the difficulties worth it. 

“Before this, I had never worked. I had never even dealt with strangers,” she said. “Now, I deal with all kinds of people every day. There’s no shame in hard work.”

“POSITIVE RESPONSE“

The overall labor force participation rate for women in Pakistan at 25 percent is significantly lower than the global and South Asian average. A large portion of women in the labor force (67 percent) are employed in agriculture, with only 16 percent in services and 14 percent in manufacturing, according to UN Women. Even among women with higher education, labor force participation rates are relatively low, with only around 25 percent of women with a university degree participating in the labor force. 

Several factors contribute to the lower female labor force participation, including social norms, safety concerns, lack of mobility, and the availability of transportation. 

But despite the challenges, more and more women are venturing out.

Another fuel station attendant, Sana, who only gave her first name, said getting a job had taught her how to face the world and deal with all kinds of people, including those who did not appreciate women working in public spaces in a male-dominated filed.

“Every type of customer visits the station,” she told Arab News.

“Some customers praise our work, saying it’s great that we are working in an open environment instead of being confined to an office, while others discourage us, saying it’s not suitable for women.”

But management was supportive and helped to protect against and handle customers who caused trouble or misbehaved, Sana added. 

Rukhsana Bibi, who works at a PSO station in Islamabad’s F-8 sector, said she felt “secure” at the job, as all stations were monitored by CCTV cameras.

Coming from a middle-class background with limited education, Rukhsana said she stepped out of her home not just to earn but to build a better future for her children.

“My husband is a laborer, and his income couldn’t cover our household expenses and children’s education, that’s why I left home.”

Jahanzaib Abbasi, Deputy Division Manager at PSO Islamabad, said the company, as an equal opportunity employer, had started hiring women during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We received a very positive response,” he said. “Many women have now been working for six months to two years, and they are satisfied and happy with their jobs.”

For customers like Azka Durrani, seeing women confidently working at fuel stations is a “heartening sign of growing empowerment and changing social norms.”

“Whenever I see these ladies working at a fuel station,” she said as Rukhsana filled her car’s tank, “I feel empowered.”

Topics: women in Pakistan

Rare caracal wild cat spotted in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert

Rare caracal wild cat spotted in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert
Updated 53 min 45 sec ago
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Rare caracal wild cat spotted in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert

Rare caracal wild cat spotted in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert
  • Caracal is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, arid areas of Pakistan, northwestern India
  • Highly elusive creature is difficult to observe, even by researchers, and is territorial, living mainly alone or in pairs
Updated 53 min 45 sec ago
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: The highly elusive and rare caracal wild cat has been spotted in the Cholistan desert in Pakistan’s southern Punjab province this week, a wildlife official said on Tuesday.

The caracal is a medium-sized animal native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterized by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long and pointed ears, relatively short tail, and long canine teeth.

The secretive creature is difficult to observe, even by researchers, and is territorial, living mainly alone or in pairs. Its speed and agility make it an efficient hunter, able to take down prey two to three times its size. It primarily hunts the chinkara deer, also known as the Indian gazelle, in the Cholistan desert, which is in the southern part of Pakistani Punjab, extending into the Greater Thar Desert.

“Over the past month, there have been multiple sightings, and just this morning [Monday], Mujahid Kaleem, Assistant Conservator Wildlife from Rahim Yar Khan, successfully spotted the animal [caracal] on camera for the very first time,” Ali Usman, a wildlife ranger for the Bahawalpur region, told Arab News in a phone interview.

Usman said the department currently lacked exact figures on caracal numbers in Pakistan.

“For a long time, this elusive species hadn’t been sighted in the region,” he said.

“However, with the current government’s support in the form of equipment, vehicles, and additional staff, our protection efforts have significantly improved. As a result, we’re beginning to see signs of ecological balance and resilience returning to the ecosystem and the caracal’s presence is a key indicator of that.”

The caracal is thought to be close to extinction in North Africa, critically endangered in Pakistan, endangered in Jordan, but stable in central and Southern Africa.

Topics: Caracal cat Cholistan desert Pakistan wildlife

Heatwave grips southern Pakistan, disrupting public life

Heatwave grips southern Pakistan, disrupting public life
Updated 22 April 2025
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Heatwave grips southern Pakistan, disrupting public life

Heatwave grips southern Pakistan, disrupting public life
  • Experts say rising temperatures are part of broader trend linked to climate change
  • Met Office urges residents to undertake precautionary measures from Apr. 22-24
Updated 22 April 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: An intense heatwave has gripped Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, particularly its commercial capital of Karachi, as the mercury rose above 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warning that the weather conditions will prevail in the region for another two days.
The warning comes amid increasingly unpredictable climate patterns across South Asia, with Karachi experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years — a trend that climate experts attribute to broader shifts caused by global warming.
The situation underscores rising concerns over the city’s preparedness for extreme weather events, amid growing calls for stronger climate adaptation policies, increased urban tree cover and more effective public awareness campaigns.
“Prevailing heatwave condition is likely to continue in Karachi division with daytime maximum temperatures are likely 4-6°C above normal till tomorrow,” the PMD said in a statement.
“Hot/very hot and dry weather prevails over most parts of the province.”
It advised people, especially women, children and the elderly, to stay indoors, avoid direct sunlight and stay well-hydrated. The maximum temperature predicted for Tuesday was 41°C, followed by 40°C on Wednesday and 39°C on Thursday.
Zaheer Abbas, a laborer in Karachi, said the scorching heat had severely affected daily life. 
“A poor person who pushes a cart can’t even work in this weather,” he told AFP.
Experts say rising temperatures are part of a broader trend linked to climate change, straining Karachi’s infrastructure and putting vulnerable populations at risk.
Iqra Ali, a Karachi student, said she was trying not to leave home unnecessarily.
“It’s hot,” she said. “For this, the more a person stays hydrated, it will be better.”
Pakistan has witnessed frequent, erratic changes in its weather patterns, including floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms, heatwaves and the slow-onset threat of glacial melting, in recent years that scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion and affecting at least 30 million people.
— With additional input from AFP

Topics: heatwave Karachi

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