Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Hafeezur Naeem said on Friday that Pakistan’s entire data is stored on foreign servers and is vulnerable to theft.
Shocking disclosures were made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, where the PTA chairman confirmed that his personal SIM data has been available on the dark web since 2022.
He informed the committee that the data of individuals who submitted applications for Hajj had also been stolen and is now circulating on the dark web. Emphasising the need for robust data infrastructure, he said that a national data centre is essential to safeguard sensitive information. Ongoing investigations by the Ministry of Interior and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) are expected to determine the source and method of the data breach.
Highlighting the severity of the matter, Senator Afnanullah, a member of the committee, claimed that data theft and its subsequent sale had become a multi-billion-rupee industry. He alleged that powerful interest groups are attempting to block the passage of the proposed Data Protection Bill.
Chairperson of the committee, Senator Palwasha Khan, raised questions about the future of digital Pakistan in light of the current security situation. She shared that she was contacted from a private number and asked to pay a credit card bill, suggesting that her personal data had also been compromised. “What kind of digital Pakistan and what kind of progress can be expected under such conditions?” she asked, urging the government to pass the Data Protection Bill and expose those obstructing its implementation.
The PTA Chairman advised both members of parliament and the general public to avoid accepting mobile phones as gifts, warning that such devices may contain surveillance bugs capable of intercepting calls and accessing apps such as WhatsApp.
Officials from the Ministry of IT confirmed that the Data Protection Bill has been drafted, along with an alternative to WhatsApp. They said consultations with stakeholders and security clearance procedures are currently underway.
