Islamabad: Sensitive data of millions of Pakistani citizens, including identity cards, SIM history, travel records and Hajj application details, is being sold on the Dark Web at cheap prices. This was revealed in a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee where members directly questioned Pakistan Telecommunication Authority officials.
PTA officials said that this data is easily available for between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000 and even the SIM record of the Chairman PTA has been hacked. According to officials, the data leak of about 300,000 Hajj applicants shows the seriousness of the crisis.
The committee was told that the Telecommunication Authority has so far blocked 1,300 websites that were involved in illegal data trade. However, officials also clarified that a comprehensive data protection law is yet to be implemented in Pakistan. The Personal Data Protection Bill of 2023, which was modeled on the European Union’s GDPR, is still pending in Parliament.
Experts and senators warned that if timely measures are not taken, these data leaks could not only increase identity theft and financial fraud but also pose serious threats to national security. The recommendations include the establishment of a national data center, implementation of a zero-trust digital model, providing more resources to the FIA and public awareness campaigns.
The committee stressed that strengthening cyber resilience in the country is imperative, otherwise Pakistan may face huge losses in both public trust and economy in the future.
