LAHORE: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said the government was working to provide additional resources to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to effectively combat cybercrime, online blackmailing, child exploitation and other illegal activities.
Addressing a press conference at the NCCIA Lahore office, he praised the agency’s team for promptly arresting all suspects involved in blackmailing six young girls who had expressed suicidal thoughts during an open court hearing a few weeks ago. He said some suspects were arrested within hours, while others were apprehended within one or two days, providing much-needed relief to the victims.
The minister announced that the facility to lodge cybercrime complaints through NADRA’s Pak ID platform would be launched soon. The initiative would ensure that every complaint was digitally recorded, enabling authorities to track its progress and monitor the action taken.
He said a meeting with the Prime Minister was scheduled for next week to brief him on the NCCIA’s resources and requirements. Highlighting the shortage of staff, he said the agency had only 61 personnel, ranging from drivers and constables to the Director Punjab, for a population of 140 million. Despite these limited resources, he added, the team was working round the clock.
Mohsin Naqvi disclosed that the NCCIA had uncovered a major gang involved in facilitating approximately 5,000 Pakistanis to pass examinations of international educational institutions through fraudulent means. He said action would be taken against the network as well as the 5,000 Pakistanis who had obtained undue benefits through the scheme. He termed it a major scam whose timely detection had prevented potential damage to Pakistan’s interests.
He further said the National Centre for Missing and Child Abuse had arrested 15 individuals during the previous month for their alleged involvement in child exploitation and the distribution of pornographic content in Punjab, particularly Lahore. The suspects were reportedly connected with various international websites. He added that several other cases, including an FBI-related case, a call centre case and a child exploitation case, had also been resolved.
The Interior Minister said that providing the NCCIA with adequate resources would significantly strengthen efforts to control cybercrime and child exploitation in the country. He vowed that those involved in such illegal activities would not be allowed to escape the law.
Responding to a question about the political situation, he said all political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were entitled to their legal rights, and any relief granted by courts would be available to them. He said various rumours had been circulating over the past couple of days about possible political developments, but there had been no extraordinary change in the situation.
Regarding the proposed creation of new provinces, Mohsin Naqvi said all political parties had the right to express their views, but the best solution was to seek the people’s opinion through a referendum. If the people opposed the creation of new provinces, the proposal should not be pursued; however, if they supported it, new provinces should be established accordingly.
Commenting on the anti-encroachment drive in Islamabad, he said notices had been issued to between 5,000 and 6,000 people over the past four to five months, clarifying that the campaign was not directed against any particular political or religious personality. He termed the illegal occupation of government land in Islamabad a matter of serious concern.
Speaking about corruption, the Minister said it existed across the country and must be acknowledged and addressed through evidence-based action. He said the government was also taking action against corruption within public sector institutions. He disclosed that the NCCIA had arrested a Grade-17 government officer, while five major cases involving public sector institutions were under investigation.
Responding to a question about inappropriate content being circulated by social media bloggers, he urged people to avoid promoting such material and said action would be taken in accordance with the law.
Rejecting reports of differences among coalition partners, Mohsin Naqvi said the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and other allied parties were important partners in the government. All major decisions would be taken through mutual consensus, and efforts would be made to prevent differences being portrayed as divisions within the coalition, he added.