Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Naeem has revealed alarming details about the country’s data security, warning that Pakistan’s entire data is stored on foreign servers and is vulnerable to theft. The disclosure came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on Friday.
The PTA chief confirmed that even his own SIM card data has been available on the dark web since 2022. He further stated that the personal information of citizens who applied for Hajj has also been stolen and is now being circulated online. He stressed that Pakistan urgently needs a national data centre to protect sensitive information from cyber theft. Ongoing investigations by the Ministry of Interior and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency are trying to trace the source of the breaches.
Senator Afnanullah warned the committee that data theft has turned into a multi-billion-rupee industry. He accused powerful groups of blocking the passage of the Data Protection Bill to protect their interests. Committee chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan also raised concerns about the future of “Digital Pakistan” under such conditions. She revealed that her own personal data may have been compromised, sharing that she received a call from a private number asking her to pay a credit card bill. She urged the government to take immediate action, pass the bill, and hold accountable those resisting it.
The PTA chairman also advised parliamentarians and the public to be cautious about accepting mobile phones as gifts, warning that such devices could contain hidden surveillance bugs capable of recording calls and accessing private apps like WhatsApp.
Officials from the Ministry of IT assured the committee that a Data Protection Bill has already been drafted. They also said an alternative to WhatsApp is being developed, with consultations and security clearance currently in progress.
