Pakistan’s cybercrime agency faces crisis as contracts expire, officers sent home

Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is facing a deepening administrative and credibility crisis after dozens of officers were instructed to stop reporting to work following the expiration of their contracts, raising questions about the future of cybercrime enforcement in the country.

Officials familiar with the matter said 77 officers in Grade 16 and above, recruited under Phase III in 2019 through a UTS testing process and posted nationwide, were told not to report after their contracts expired in November. Salaries for these officers have reportedly not been paid for the past three months.

Legal experts warn that the lapse in contractual status could jeopardize the legal standing of cases investigated or registered during this period.

Earlier batches of cybercrime officers, recruited under Phase I and Phase II in 2008 and 2015–2016, continue to work on contracts, many of which are also set to expire later this year, adding further uncertainty within the agency.

The NCCIA traces its origins to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C), established in 2007. It became a dedicated Cyber Crime Wing in 2016 after Pakistan enacted the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and was formally reconstituted as the NCCIA in 2025. Officials and rights groups say the agency was expanded under the current political regime, which came to power following a no-confidence vote in 2022, and that cyber laws were further tightened during this period to regulate online dissent.

Despite its elevation to an independent agency, observers say no permanent institutional framework or clear service structure has been fully established, creating overlapping authorities and internal disputes. Recruitment processes for FIA and NCCIA staff have been repeatedly challenged in courts, reflecting ongoing administrative fragmentation.

According to the Ministry of Interior, NCCIA received more than 700,000 complaints between 2021 and 2025, but only 270 cases resulted in convictions. The ministry had announced plans to expand the number of cybercrime police stations from 15 to 64 nationwide. However, those plans are now in doubt as officers and subordinate staff across the country face suspension or contract non-renewal.

The agency’s credibility has been further undermined by recent allegations against senior officials. Higher-ranking NCCIA officers were charged in extortion cases linked to a high-profile investigation involving popular YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, known as Ducky Bhai, according to court records and officials familiar with the proceedings.

NCCIA has also been involved in cases concerning online blasphemous content and anti-state social media activity. Several individuals penalized in cyber blasphemy cases have since been acquitted or granted bail by appellate courts, raising questions about investigative standards and prosecutorial outcomes.

Attempts to reach Additional Director Cyber Crime Zone Ehsan-ul-Haq Chauhan and the agency’s public relations office for comment were unsuccessful, with the PRO’s contract reportedly also expired.

With key contractual staff sidelined, senior officials under legal scrutiny, and institutional reforms incomplete, analysts say the operational capacity of Pakistan’s main cybercrime watchdog remains uncertain, even as online fraud, financial scams, and digital abuse continue to rise sharply nationwide.