Islamabad, May 6, 2026: A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting was informed on Wednesday that a majority of First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against journalists had been dismissed following initial investigations.
The meeting, chaired by Convener Sarmad Ali, was attended by Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi and Jan Muhammad, along with representatives from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), provincial police departments, and legal experts.
Officials briefed the committee that 13 FIRs had been registered against journalists, of which 11 were cancelled after preliminary inquiries. In addition, 689 FIRs related to cybercrimes involving the general public had been registered, with around 500 cases currently under process in Punjab alone, according to the Additional Inspector General of Punjab Police.
Responding to queries regarding procedures under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025, the committee was informed that police stations are no longer authorized to register cybercrime FIRs. Instead, all such complaints are now referred to the NCCIA for investigation. However, in cases where online activity leads to a conventional crime, separate FIRs may be registered—one with NCCIA for the cyber component and another with the relevant provincial police.
The committee was also told that proposals are under consideration in Punjab and Sindh to establish provincial bodies similar to NCCIA to help manage the increasing workload. Officials highlighted that 29 offences are currently defined under PECA, while Punjab alone registered 370 cybercrime FIRs between 2020 and 2025.
The briefing underscored the rapid growth of digital activity in Pakistan, noting that approximately 140 million people are active online, with nearly 20% of social media accounts estimated to be fake—often used for fraud, harassment, and blackmail.
Provincial representatives emphasized that effective cybercrime control requires strong coordination between federal and provincial authorities. Sindh Police reported 55 cybercrime-related FIRs, including one involving a journalist, with 33 cases transferred to NCCIA. Islamabad Police informed the panel that its last cybercrime FIR was registered on September 14, 2025, and that all such cases are now being referred to the federal agency.
NCCIA officials briefed the committee on ongoing coordination with provincial police, particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to strengthen enforcement efforts. They noted that cybercriminals often operate through multiple layers of anonymity, making investigations complex and dependent on international cooperation with social media platforms.
The agency reported receiving approximately 154,000 complaints over the past year and said its operational rules have been finalized and submitted to the Ministry of Interior for approval.
In his concluding remarks, Senator Sarmad Ali stressed the need to further strengthen NCCIA’s capacity. The sub-committee recommended that provincial police and courts expedite the transfer of relevant cases to the agency and directed that detailed reports on pending and transferred cases be presented at the next meeting.
