Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Thursday informed the National Assembly that the government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity framework to address the growing threat of digital fraud and cybercrime.
Govt strengthening cyber security framework to combat digital fraud: Shaza Fatima
ISLAMABAD, May 14 (APP): Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Thursday informed the National Assembly that the government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity framework to address the growing threat of digital fraud and cybercrime.
Responding to questions during the Question Hour, the minister said incidents related to financial fraud and agenda-driven cybercrime had increased significantly due to rapid technological advancement and growing digital connectivity.
She informed the House that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had been established to deal with cybercrime in a more specialized and effective manner.
The minister said cybercrime was previously handled by the cyber wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), but the increasing complexity of digital crimes required a more dedicated institutional mechanism.
Shaza Fatima said the Ministry of Interior was further strengthening the agency to improve its capacity to investigate and respond to emerging cyber threats.
She said the Ministry of Information Technology and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) were also playing their role through public awareness campaigns and issuance of cybersecurity advisories.
The minister said the National Computer Emergency Response Team (National CERT) regularly issued advisories urging citizens not to share PIN codes, one-time passwords (OTPs) and other sensitive information.
She said most incidents involving hacked WhatsApp accounts and compromised bank accounts occurred when users shared their OTPs or PINs with fraudsters.
Shaza Fatima emphasized that public awareness was a critical component in preventing cybercrime and protecting digital users.
She informed the House that Pakistan previously did not have a National CERT, but the institution had been established during the current government’s tenure.
The minister added that provincial CERTs had also been formed to strengthen cyber security coordination and response mechanisms across the country.
Responding to a supplementary question, she agreed that greater digital awareness campaigns were needed and said PTA was actively working on public messaging initiatives despite resource limitations.
She said the government had partnered with Meta last year for awareness campaigns and planned to collaborate with TikTok this year to expand digital literacy and cyber safety outreach among the public.
