Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced in the National Assembly the creation of a National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, a move prompted by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) limited capacity to handle the growing number of cybercrime cases.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the National Assembly, Tarar assured that support would be provided to manage cybercrime cases until the new agency becomes fully operational. FIA staff might be integrated into the new agency, he said.
The minister clarified that ongoing cybercrime investigations under the FIA would not be discontinued but transferred to the new agency. His comments came in response to a question from Sharmila Faruqui about the details of cybercrime cases over the past three years.
The Interior Ministry shared statistics on cybercrime incidents reported to the FIA’s cyber wing over that period. In 2021, the cybercrime wing received 115,868 complaints and verified 80,803 cases. They carried out 15,766 inquiries, registered 1,223 FIRs, secured 38 convictions, and had 88 suspects acquitted. In 2022, there were 136,024 complaints, with 83,552 cases verified. The wing completed 14,380 inquiries, registered 1,469 FIRs, achieved 48 convictions, and had 177 acquittals. In the previous year, 134,710 complaints were received. Which includes 82,396 cases verified, 18,012 inquiries completed, 1,375 FIRs filed, 92 convictions secured, and 102 suspects acquitted.
