Islamabad:
Several websites that offer mobile data have been blocked, although some sites remain operational where citizens are still sold.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, realized on Sunday of the illegal sale of citizens’ private data on several Internet platforms after Express News highlighted the problem in an exclusive report. Express News had brought the problem to the first care center in October 2024.
Express News revealed on Sunday that despite its previous report, the private data of Pakistani citizens, from federal ministers and senior government officials to common persons, are available for sale on several websites without any government authority taking any measure.
According to the report, there are dozens of online websites where citizens’ data are opened openly for sale, with fixed rates. In these platforms, the mobile phone location is available for RS500, mobile data record details for RS3,500 and foreign travel details for RS5,000.
They also offer information linked to an international mobile equipment identity number (IMEI) for RS25,000, while the color of national identity cards of citizens (CNIC) are also sold in these sites.
The Interior Minister instructed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (Nccia) to carry out a rapid investigation. In compliance, the headquarters of the NCCIA issued a formal notification that constitutes a special research team.
According to the sources, the team is supervised by the additional director of Nccia Islamabad. Members include deputy director Security Akram Mughal, Deputy Director CCRC Imran Haider, the forensic deputy director Muzamil Hussain, the investigations of Inspector Badr Shehzad and the cybercrime technical assistant Anis Ur Rehman.
The notification also declared that the special team will have the authority to induce representatives of any institution or agency if necessary.
