Punjab to Launch New Cybercrime Wing: Dissatisfaction with NCCIA

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the establishment of a provincial Cybercrime Wing to tackle the rising number of digital crimes. The decision follows growing frustration with the performance of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

The move was finalised during a high-level meeting in Lahore on Monday, where the chief minister stressed the need to curb the misuse of digital platforms. The meeting decided:

“The Cybercrime Wing will be establis­hed in Pun­j­ab to curb the misuse of digital platforms.”

Reason Behind the Decision

A senior official said that Punjab had been facing delays and inadequate responses from the NCCIA. Complaints from Punjab often took too long to be disposed of.

He added:

“Keeping in view the sharp rise in cybercrime in the most-populated province of the country, Punjab feels the need to have a separate wing to deal with the menace.”

After the NCCIA replaced the FIA Cybercrime Wing in May 2025, the provincial government tried to build a working relationship with the federal body. However, those efforts did not yield results.

Punjab’s government has been dealing with a surge in social media attacks, particularly targeting the Sharif family. Provincial ministers, including Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari, have also filed defamation complaints.

Ms. Bokhari recently announced plans to move the NCCIA against TV anchor Mubasher Lucman under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) for alleged defamation. People know Mubasher Lucman as a political commentator for his investigative talk show “Khara Sach”,

However, questions have been raised about whether the new provincial agency could also be used to target political rivals.

NCCIA’s Growing Backlog in Punjab

The NCCIA continues to struggle with thousands of pending complaints, mainly involving account hacking, harassment, and financial fraud.

An official explained that in harassment cases, many inv­olve the uploading of objectionable photos or videos, often by ex-husbands, ex-fiancés, or boyfriends, to blackmail victims. But the NCCIA lacks the staff and resources needed to handle such a massive volume.

He added that limited manpower, lack of advanced software, and poor cooperation from tech platforms have made investigations difficult.

Officials also noted that the government should develop the cybercrime setup on the pattern of the FBI and train officers abroad to improve capacity.