The government has expedited the process for establishing a Social Media Regulatory Authority, officials of the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting.
The officials said the federal cabinet had already approved rules for the authority, and advertisements for staff recruitment would soon be issued. The committee, chaired by Senator Ali Zafar, emphasized the urgent need for effective regulation of online platforms.
The meeting was told that nine members of the National Assembly had been defrauded through scams carried out in the name of Senator Irfan Siddiqui. The senator revealed that money was demanded from lawmakers using his identity, with nine parliamentarians falling victim. Despite lodging four complaints, Siddiqui said no remedy had been provided. The committee directed NCCIA to submit a comprehensive report on the case.
NCCIA officials briefed the committee that Rs 1.3 million had been recovered in connection with the fraud, while four suspects were under arrest. Efforts were underway to nab the prime accused. They added that Rs. 10 million had been recovered during the last five months in WhatsApp hacking cases. The NCCIA Director General further revealed that 611 financial fraud cases, 320 harassment complaints, and 10 cases against journalists had been registered so far, warning that illegally obtained SIMs were also being misused for terrorism.
Senator Pervaiz Rasheed raised concerns over harassment and threats he faced following a speech in the Senate. He said abusive campaigns were launched against him on social media, yet no authority approached him for redressal. Stressing that such practices undermined freedom of speech, Rasheed called for strong mechanisms to curb harassment of parliamentarians and citizens alike.