The government has decided to establish the National Cybercrime Agency through a dedicated Act of Parliament, addressing objections raised by the Ministry of Law and other institutions regarding its earlier formation under regular rules, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Monday.
The new agency will be tasked with enforcing Pakistan’s cybercrime laws, including the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), combating fake news, and addressing other cyber-related challenges. Special legislative provisions will grant the agency additional powers to effectively tackle these issues.
Previously, the agency was being formed under standard regulatory rules, which drew objections from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, and other stakeholders. To resolve these concerns, the government opted for a parliamentary approach to ensure the agency's legal and operational framework is robust.
Sources revealed that the government has sought detailed inputs from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which has significant experience handling cybercrime cases. The FIA has submitted its recommendations and provided data on individuals involved in cybercrimes to the Ministry of Law to aid the legislation process.