Of the 56,000 online abuse complaints made by the FIA only 32 were investigated

Islamabad: The Senate's Standing Committee on Information Technology announces the performance of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to curb the increasing exploitation of social media platforms. Ask for performance reports.

The meeting of the Standing Committee was chaired by Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid, who expressed concern over the FIA's claim that the organization received 56,000 complaints of various online harassment and investigated only 32 of them. 

Senator Rubina Khalid remarked, "It is a matter of frustration that shows that the organization has to be dynamic so that it can fulfil its responsibilities."

Earlier in the meeting, FIA Director of Cyber ​​Crime Waqar Chauhan briefed the committee members.

About last year, he said that more than 11,000 cases were investigated out of 27,000 complaints and convicted in at least 32 cases of cybercrime.

On this, committee members pointed out that members of parliament related to fake social media accounts also face cybercrime issues.

Later, the chairperson of the committee said it was the FIA's responsibility to track down the behind-the-scenes elements of fake social media accounts, but most of the responsibility lies with the PTA.

Meanwhile, Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem said that the FIA ​​and PTA should submit their annual performance reports to the committee.

Committee members said that a complaint has been lodged with the FIA ​​on the creation of fake accounts in the names of Senator Kulsoom Pervez, Senator Taj Mohammad Afridi, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and others.

Senators asked what would happen to the general public if all of this was happening with the parliament?

To which the FIA ​​official said that the fake accounts were blocked, the senators said that blocking the accounts would not solve the problem.

The committee members were of the opinion that the elements behind cybercrime should be exposed and demanded that strict action be taken against the perpetrators.

In addition, the Senate expressed disappointment over the delay in investigating the child pornography case.

However, Secretary Information Technology Shoaib Siddiqui came to the FIA ​​to assist cybercrime and said that the department has limited human resources, besides that the sector faces budget constraints.

Shoaib Siddiqui said that the departments have their own procedures for cybercrime which is not technically different from the Central FI as the cybercrime department works under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.

He explained to the committee that the FIA's Department of Cybercrime is facing a number of issues that need to be resolved, which the Standing Committee agreed to raise the issues facing the FIA's Department of Cybercrime.