Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court has ordered the government to immediately release withheld salaries for 43 officers of the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA), while barring any adverse action, including termination, pending a final decision on their employment status.
The court’s directive, issued on Feb. 24 by Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, follows a petition by the officers challenging the termination of their contracts after they had continued performing duties beyond their November 30, 2025 contract expiry.
The order covers the release of salaries and arrears for the period of extended service.
Justice Khan also directed authorities not to fill the sanctioned posts occupied by the petitioners with other personnel and to produce complete service records, including documentation related to the conversion of their posts from temporary development positions to regular budget allocations.
The court responded to media reports citing statements by the NCCIA Director General about the termination of the officers, instructing authorities to submit such reports to the court and to refrain from implementing termination orders contrary to prior court rulings.
The petitioners, holding senior civil service positions (Grade 16 and above), were originally appointed on contract by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) through a competitive process including advertisement, testing, and interviews.
They were later placed on deputation to the NCCIA, established under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The officers contend that their termination violates provisions of the FIA Act, 1974, and previous Islamabad High Court judgments.
Their positions were converted to regular, non-development status via a Ministry of Interior notification in February 2023. The officers cite earlier court rulings, including a 2019 Islamabad High Court judgment, to support their case for permanent employment.
The relief comes after the recent termination of contracts for 77 NCCIA officials, including deputy directors, assistant directors, technical officers, and inspectors. The 43 officers who petitioned the court sought continued service, safeguarding of records for regularization processing by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), and protection from breaks in service or replacement by new recruits.
The February 24 order also allowed procedural exemptions and overruled objections to the filing of the application. Notices were issued to the federal government and other respondents regarding remaining requests, including reinstatement without hindrance and suspension of termination statements.
The case highlights challenges faced by Pakistan’s emerging cybercrime agency in regularizing contract employees amid structural transitions from the FIA. The court has directed the government to submit para-wise responses, with the matter scheduled for further hearings.
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