Pakistan senator seeks parliamentary action, cybercrime probe after clash with minister

A Pakistani senator has sought parliamentary privilege proceedings and a cybercrime investigation after accusing the country’s communications minister of intimidation during a Senate committee meeting, saying the confrontation was followed by a coordinated online campaign of harassment and defamation.

Senator Palwasha Khan said she submitted a written complaint on Tuesday to the chairman and secretary of the Senate, requesting the initiation of breach of privilege proceedings against Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan over what she described as threatening and unparliamentary conduct during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications on Dec. 19.

In the complaint, dated Dec. 23, Khan said the minister was asked to explain expenditures running into billions of rupees on the Haidara Drain-to-Thokar Niaz Baig road project, which was funded through Pakistan’s National Highway Authority.

She alleged that instead of responding to questions, the minister shouted at committee members, used derogatory language, accused them of blackmail, and warned her that she would “have nowhere to hide” if he questioned her personally.

Separately, Khan also filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, seeking action over what she termed an organized campaign of online character assassination following the committee meeting.

Cybercrime complaint

In her cybercrime complaint, submitted on Tuesday, Khan said she had been targeted for several days across social media platforms including X, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. She alleged that fake accounts and bot networks were used to circulate false accusations, digitally altered images, deepfake videos, abusive and gender-based hate speech, and threats to her personal safety.

The complaint said the timing of the campaign appeared linked to her official role as chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, and was intended to undermine her constitutional responsibilities.

Khan asked authorities to investigate the matter, identify those involved, remove the disputed content and initiate legal proceedings under PECA provisions related to cyber defamation, hate speech, cyberstalking and offences against personal dignity.

Speaking later at a press conference outside parliament, Khan said the dispute was not a personal matter but one that concerned the dignity of parliament and the right of elected representatives to question the use of public funds.

She said the central issue was whether lawmakers could perform their oversight role without intimidation, warning that failure to address such conduct would set a dangerous precedent for parliamentary democracy.

Khan said her original inquiry focused on whether a road project financed with taxpayers’ money served the public interest or specific private interests, calling such scrutiny a constitutional obligation. She rejected suggestions that her questions were motivated by personal considerations, adding that hostile reactions to accountability reflected a lack of substantive answers.

Thanking her party leadership, Khan said the Pakistan Peoples Party would not compromise on parliamentary traditions or democratic norms. She described Senate standing committees as an extension of parliament where ministers were expected to respond through reasoned debate rather than coercion.

She also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the conduct of cabinet members, stressing that cabinet responsibility was collective, and called for an independent forensic audit into allegations related to the Ministry of Communications, citing concerns raised in an International Monetary Fund report.

The communications minister has not publicly responded to the allegations.