Only 26 convictions from 22,500 complaints? NA panel questions NCCIA, flags SC rulings

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) secured just 26 convictions from more than 22,500 complaints received in 2025, lawmakers were told on Tuesday, prompting sharp criticism over institutional capacity and the state’s broader response to violence against women in digital spaces.

The disclosure came during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming at Parliament House, chaired by MNA Dr Nafisa Shah. Members expressed deep concern over what they described as an alarming gap between the scale of online abuse and the ability of enforcement agencies to respond effectively.

Briefing the committee, the NCCIA director general said the agency registered 620 cases during the year but remained severely overstretched. On average, a single officer was handling around 565 complaints, he said, citing shortages of trained personnel, female investigators, prosecutors and budgetary support as key constraints.

Committee members voiced dissatisfaction with the agency’s performance, noting that even complaints submitted by parliamentarians had reportedly gone unanswered. They called for urgent institutional strengthening, improved oversight and greater accountability.

Beyond enforcement failures, the committee also raised serious legal concerns. Members took strong exception to recent judicial interpretations in which rape convictions were converted into convictions for fornication on presumptions of consent, without separate charges or complaints. They warned that such rulings risk undermining constitutional guarantees and statutory safeguards introduced through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2006, which removed discriminatory provisions from earlier laws.

Lawmakers cautioned that these interpretations could expose complainants to stigma and even criminal liability, creating a chilling effect on the reporting of sexual violence. The committee urged the government to ensure a judicial review so that both constitutional protections and Parliament’s legislative intent are preserved.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Shah described digital violence as an “emerging and dangerous dimension of gender-based violence”, stressing the need to assess its scale, identify gaps in law and policy, and strengthen enforcement alongside victim support mechanisms.

The session also marked the first-ever parliamentary hearing on Digital Violence against Women in Pakistan: Safeguarding Rights in the Digital Age, with briefings from key institutions. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman retired Major General Hafeez ur Rehman told the committee that more than 1.5 million URLs had been blocked this year, including thousands linked to defamation, impersonation and immoral content, as well as 5,000 unauthorised SIMs. Members called for stronger coordination with international digital platforms and clearer accountability frameworks.

Representatives from UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women advocated a coordinated, multi-agency approach to tackling online abuse. Civil society expert and lawyer Usama Khilji highlighted vague provisions in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), warning they could be misused against journalists and activists. Women journalists also shared concerns about cyber harassment and threats to press freedom.

Officials from the Ministry of Human Rights outlined existing policy gaps and cited the National Gender Policy Framework 2022 as a guiding document for addressing digital violence.

The meeting was attended by MNAs, senators, senior officials, journalists, and representatives of national and international organisations.