Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz has approved the creation of a provincial Cybercrime Wing to tackle the rising number of digital crimes. The decision follows growing frustration over the performance of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The move was finalized at a high-level meeting in Lahore on Monday where the Prime Minister stressed the need to curb misuse of digital platforms. The meeting decided:
“The Cybercrime Wing will be established in Punjab to check the misuse of digital platforms.”
Reason behind the decision
A senior official said that Punjab was facing delays and inadequate responses from the NCCIA. Complaints from Punjab often took too long to be dealt with.
He added:
“Given the sharp rise in cybercrime in the country’s most populous province, Punjab feels the need for a separate wing to tackle the menace.”
After the NCCIA replaced the FIA Cybercrime Wing in May 2025, the provincial government sought to build a working relationship with the federal agency. However, those efforts yielded no results.
The Punjab government is facing a wave of attacks on social media, particularly targeting the Sharif family. Provincial ministers, including the provincial Minister of Information and Culture Azma Bokharihave also filed defamation claims.
Mrs. Bokhari recently announced plans to move the NCCIA against the TV anchor Mubasher Lucman under the Electronic Crimes Prevention Act (PECA) for alleged defamation. People know Mubasher Lucman as a political commentator for his investigative talk show “Khara Sach”,
However, questions have been raised about whether the new provincial agency could also be used to target political rivals.
The Growing Backlog of NCCIA in Punjab
The NCCIA continues to grapple with thousands of pending complaints, mainly involving account hacking, harassment and financial fraud.
An official explained that harassment cases often involve the uploading of offensive photos or videos, often by ex-husbands, ex-fiancees or boyfriends, to blackmail the victims. But the NCCIA does not have the staff and resources necessary to handle such a huge volume.
He added that limited manpower, lack of advanced software and poor cooperation of technology platforms are complicating the investigation.
Officials also noted that the government should evolve its cybercrime design along the lines of the FBI and train agents abroad to improve its capabilities.
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