The Senate Standing Committee on IT & Telecom convened to discuss several key issues, including data security and breaches affecting Pakistan’s citizens.
PTA Chairman provided a briefing on the ongoing concerns over data theft, confirming that data was reported to have appeared on the dark web in 2022. “The SIM data is stored by the telecom companies,” he explained, adding that the Ministry of Interior had instructed the NCCIA to investigate the matter.
The committee raised concerns about whether the data of every citizen was included in the breach, with the PTA Chairman confirming that, based on his information, SIM data was involved. He also shared that his own SIM data had been found on the dark web since 2022. Senator Affanullah Khan highlighted that over Rs. 65 billion is being earned from the sale of stolen data.
Senator Affanullah emphasized the urgency of creating laws to safeguard data, warning that failure to do so could lead to significant losses. He cited Israel’s 2022 attack on Iran, where critical data was gathered from social media and the internet. “We are facing external pressure to prevent Pakistan from creating laws for data protection,” he added.
The committee also criticized the Ministry of IT for its inability to bring forward a data protection bill, with the committee chairperson calling out the Ministry’s inefficiency. “What is the Ministry of IT doing?” asked Senator Manzoor Ahmad, expressing frustration over Federal Minister Shehzad Fatima’s absence from the meeting.
The committee also learned that data from approximately 300,000 individuals who had applied for Hajj was found on the dark web, raising further concerns about the safety of personal information in the country. The PTA Chairman stressed that data security is a critical issue, and Senator Affanullah suggested the establishment of a high-security data center to protect citizens’ information.
In other matters, the committee discussed the ongoing issues related to internet connectivity in Balochistan, with Senator Kamran Murtaza urging that internet packages be extended due to the region’s persistent problems. The PTA Chairman assured that extensions will be granted in areas where services had been restored.
The committee also discussed the broader issues of service quality across the country, with the chairperson noting that the solution lies in spectrum auctions. However, PTA officials highlighted that some spectrum cases are still pending in court, which could delay the process.
On the topic of security, the committee addressed the challenges posed by firewalls and the Web Management System, which has been operational since 2005. PTA officials explained that this system is capable of blocking entire platforms, but it only interferes with calls or SMS if a user’s mobile device is compromised.
“Every country has a Web Management System in place,” stated the PTA Chairman, acknowledging that the Israeli government has attempted to introduce bugs into smartphones to access private information.
Senator Affanullah suggested the creation of an app similar to WhatsApp, which would provide better security. The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of IT confirmed that the app is currently in development and undergoing security clearance.