After Corruption Scandal, NCCIA Reopens All Inquiries, Exposing Deep Flaws in Pakistan’s Accountability System

In a decisive move to restore integrity and public trust after the NCCIA corruption scandal, the newly appointed Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Syed Khurram Ali, has announced a sweeping audit of all cybercrime enquiries, seized assets, and officer performance across Pakistan.

The order follows a major corruption scandal that has shaken the country’s premier cybercrime watchdog. Several NCCIA officers are under investigation for allegedly taking large bribes from individuals and businesses in exchange for suppressing cybercrime complaints or manipulating case outcomes.

According to an internal directive, all enquiries and FIRs registered by the NCCIA since its establishment will be reopened. The DG has also sought detailed records of properties, vehicles, and assets seized during past operations. Officers have been instructed to submit these details by November 3.

Our credibility depends on transparency, and we must prove that no one is above the law, not even those who enforce it.

-DG Khurram Ali

A Wake-up Call for Pakistan’s Cybercrime Watchdog

Formed earlier this year as an independent body carved out of the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing, the NCCIA was meant to modernize Pakistan’s digital law enforcement capabilities. Instead, it now finds itself in crisis, its own officers accused of extortion, bribery, and abuse of power.

The accused officers, initially reported missing, were produced last week before a judicial magistrate in Lahore. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered an FIR against them for taking millions of rupees in bribes to tamper with cybercrime cases.

The scandal has eroded public confidence at a time when cybercrime in Pakistan, including digital fraud, hacking, and online harassment, is escalating at record levels.

Performance Reports Ordered Nationwide

In a memo circulated on Saturday, DG Khurram Ali directed all officers from grades 14 to 19 to submit their performance reports by Monday noon. The order applies to all regional zones, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, and carries a stern warning: failure to comply will result in a “zero performance” rating.

The directive is part of a broader internal review aimed at identifying negligence, inefficiency, and misconduct. Senior officials confirmed that the DG intends to cross-audit previous case outcomes with officer performance data to uncover irregularities.

Revisiting Old Cases to Restore Public Trust

By reopening all First Information Reports (FIRs) and ongoing enquiries, the NCCIA leadership seeks to revisit cases that may have been unjustly closed or compromised. These include investigations into online financial scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and data theft targeting banks and government institutions.

For citizens and businesses who had lost faith in digital justice, this could represent a long-awaited course correction.

The Cost of Cosmetic Reforms

The NCCIA crisis is a stark reminder of Pakistan’s chronic governance flaw, the state’s habit of creating new institutions without establishing systems for implementation, oversight, or accountability. The government often equates the launch of an authority with reform, but without transparency, audits, and internal checks, such agencies inevitably become bureaucratic power centers vulnerable to exploitation.

The NCCIA’s collapse was not due to lack of resources or mandate but a failure to enforce internal discipline and ethical oversight. Officers operated without fear of accountability, exploiting loopholes and weak supervision to misuse authority. To prevent repetition, the government must go beyond reshuffles and slogans to design a robust, independent oversight framework that enforces transparency in real time.

Turning away from this responsibility would only deepen the rot that has already weakened the police, bureaucracy, and other state institutions, leaving citizens to bear the cost of systemic negligence.

The federal government appointed Syed Khurram Ali, a Grade-21 Police Service of Pakistan officer, as DG on October 28, replacing Waqar-ud-Din Syed, who was removed following the scandal.

Under Ali’s leadership, the NCCIA is expected to introduce stricter internal controls, transparent reporting systems, and possibly a digital audit trail to track case handling and minimize human interference. Early reports suggest the DG plans to reverify seized assets and reassess closed cases where corruption was suspected.

However, systemic reform requires political will, not just administrative orders. If genuine accountability mechanisms are not embedded, the cleanup could fade into yet another temporary reaction to public outrage.

NCCIA Corruption Scandal: A Test of Digital Governance

Pakistan’s cybercrime landscape is expanding rapidly, with both public and private institutions facing increasing digital threats. According to recent data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), cyber incidents involving financial fraud, ransomware, and identity theft have surged in 2025.

At such a critical juncture, a compromised cybercrime watchdog undermines national security and public confidence in digital law enforcement. NCCIA’s credibility will take more than reopening files; it will require rebuilding its moral authority.

By ordering a comprehensive audit and reopening all cybercrime enquiries, DG Syed Khurram Ali has taken the first visible step toward accountability. But the true measure of success will lie in whether the government institutionalizes transparency beyond one officer’s tenure.