Senate Body Raises Alarm Over ‘Billion-Rupee’ Data Theft, PTA Confirms Dark Web Sales

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications expressed deep concern on Thursday over the rising incidents of data breaches in Pakistan, with revelations that citizens’ personal information worth billions of rupees is being stolen and sold on the dark web.

During the meeting, Senator Palwasha Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) briefed lawmakers that while telecom-related data had not surfaced on the dark web in the past two years, large-scale leaks had been reported earlier. He revealed that in 2022, PTA had carried out an internal inquiry into the matter, while the Ministry of Interior has now tasked the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) with conducting a probe.

The chairman acknowledged that “data exists on the dark web” and stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the sources of such leaks. He added that information is often stolen from multiple institutions, consolidated, and then sold. “At the rate of Rs500 per SIM, data costs run up to Rs65 billion,” he informed the committee.

Committee members shared personal experiences to underline the severity of the issue. Chairperson Palwasha Khan recounted receiving a fraudulent call demanding pending bank payments, raising questions over how scammers had access to her financial details. “How did they know I had money to deposit in the bank?” she asked.

Senator Afnanullah painted a grim picture, calling data theft an “organized business” with far-reaching national security implications. He cited the example of Israel’s strike on Iran, claiming that intelligence was gathered entirely from social media and internet data. He warned: “If laws are not enacted, data will continue to be stolen — it is a colossal failure that our citizens’ information, worth billions, remains unsafe.”

He further disclosed that nearly 350,000 Hajj applicants’ records had appeared on the dark web, terming it a serious lapse. Other members questioned whether data from NADRA and the Election Commission had also been compromised.

The absence of Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima from the session also drew criticism, with senators expressing frustration over what they termed the ministry’s inaction. “Why has the IT Ministry failed to bring the data protection bill despite cabinet approval?” the chairperson asked, while Senator Manzoor Ahmed questioned the minister’s repeated absence.

Officials from the IT Ministry responded that a draft of the Data Protection Bill had been prepared and consultations with stakeholders were underway. However, senators accused the ministry of bowing to external pressure against legislating safeguards.

“This is not only negligence but a national security risk,” Senator Afnanullah warned, urging the government to establish a national data centre with high-level security protocols.

The committee concluded that without a robust legal framework, Pakistan would continue to face grave risks from organized cybercrime, leaving citizens’ sensitive information vulnerable to exploitation.

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