Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has now been given the authority to act against individuals and organisations guilty of breaching national security under the recently approved Cyber-Crime Law.

The country has seen a lot of development in e-security sector. The cyber-crime team, recently formed, has already taken actions against blackmailers and con artists who extract money by using dirty tactics online. Taking things a step further – to protect the interest of the country – the ISI can now take actions against people who commit online crimes.

“The ISI wanted legal cover for action against those allegedly committing online crimes against the state and undermining the national security and we had to agree with the proposal,” disclosed a member of the Interior Ministry on Wednesday. “The new rules will empower the ISI to operate against those who commit online crimes.”

Offences under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) were to be investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The government conferred this responsibility under Section 29 of SRO 1 2016. Moreover, ISI, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) have shown desire to become shareholders in PECA’s implementation.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the existing legislation is enough to verify online crimes and it will be wrong to further tinker with it in the name of national security – with the parliament’s backing. So far, the FIA has dealt with 12 cases. “We have started taking action against individuals involved in online crimes,” an FIA’s investigator said.