Pak forms new cyber crime agency that experts reckon will also target Imran Khan supporters

Islamabad, May 4 (IANS) Pakistan government's decision to form a national agency called the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has raised concerns in the country with several experts citing that the move would not only gravely affect citizens' right to privacy but is also aimed at targeting the massive social media presence of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The Establishment Division of the Pakistan government announced the formation of NCCIA with the prime focus on countering propaganda and rumours on social media and safeguarding the digital rights of people.

"There must be an end to harassment, including online," said Federal Minister for Information and Broadcast Attaullah Tarar on Thursday.

He added that there was an "immediate and dire need" of an authority like NCCIA to address the issue of online harassment and also to protect the digital rights of consumers.

However, security experts do not agree with the government and have expressed serious concerns over the negative effects on the citizen's right to privacy.

"It raises concerns that go beyond the duplication of efforts and resources, the move may also gravely affect citizen's right to privacy which seems to have been overlooked in the rush to bolster cyber defences," said Khawaja Khalid Farooq, former Inspector General of Police and ex-head of National Counter-Terrorism Authority.

Another view states that the military establishment wants to have a strong strategy and authority in place to tackle the anti-establishment campaigns run by PTI through its large presence on social media.

"PTI is the only political party in Pakistan with a very strong social media presence. Its campaigns and social media teams have the strongest influence on the masses through social media engagements," says senior political analyst Javed Siddique.

"The anti-military sentiments have prevailed and broadly expressed on social media platforms by PTI and Imran Khan's supporters. NCCIA may be designated and directed to work with prime focus on tackling the dissemination of PTI-led anti-establishment campaigns on social media under the legal cover of the controversial PECA act," he adds.

It is pertinent to note that formation of NCCIA would render the already-existing Cyber Crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as defunct.

As per the notification in the Gazette of Pakistan, the formation of NCCIA has been formed under Section 51 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA). The notification also mentioned that NCCIA would take over the cyber crime investigations of the FIA Cyber Crime Wing in December 2024, adding that FIA would now cease to perform functions as designated agency under the act.

"The NCCIA will be headed by a Director General, chosen by the federal government to serve a two-year term. The NCCIA chief would exercise the powers of an Inspector General of Police while the agency's affairs related to the federal government's business would be allocated to the Interior Division," the Gazette of Pakistan notification maintained.

Experts, however, believe that the formation of NCCIA is irrelevant because FIA cyber crime wing has got the framework, requisite capabilities and is equipped to deal with cyber threats.

"Creating the NCCIA to replace the FIA's cyber crime wing could result in an overlap of responsibilities, leading to bureaucratic inefficiencies and confusion," said Farooq.

"There is a risk that the pursuit of cyber security, privacy rights could be compromised without stringent checks and balances in place," he added.

Another view states that the military establishment wants to have a strong strategy and authority in place to tackle the strong social media presence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that targets the military establishment.

"PTI is the only political party in Pakistan with a very strong social media presence. Its campaigns and social media teams have the strongest influence on the masses through social media engagements. The anti-military sentiments have prevailed and broadly expressed on social media platforms by PTI and Imran Khan's supporters. NCCIA may be designated and directed to work with prime focus on tackling the dissemination of PTI led anti-establishment campaigns on social media under the legal cover of the controversial PECA act," said senior political analyst Javed Siddique.

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