Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman has disclosed that the personal data of approximately 300,000 individuals who applied for Hajj has surfaced on the dark web. The revelation was made during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan. Rehman highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive inquiry to determine the sources of the leaks and stressed the significance of establishing a robust, national-level mechanism for data protection. According to him, PTA had already conducted an internal inquiry in 2022, while the Ministry of Interior has now initiated a formal investigation into the matter.
During the briefing, Senator Afnan Ullah Khan informed the committee that data from various institutions is stolen separately, compiled, and then sold. He expressed concern that such activities were increasingly exposing citizens to fraud and identity theft. Committee chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan shared her own experience of receiving a fraudulent call related to a bank transaction and raised questions about how fraudsters obtain access to such sensitive data. In response, Rehman clarified that in the past two years, no telecom data had been discovered on the dark web, but underscored the urgency of addressing the vulnerabilities across different sectors and enacting stronger legislation to safeguard citizens’ information.
The Senate Standing Committee voiced strong concerns over the delay in introducing a comprehensive data protection law. Officials from the Ministry of IT briefed the members that a draft bill had been prepared and that consultations with stakeholders were ongoing. Senator Afnan Ullah Khan cautioned that failing to enact data protection legislation promptly would expose the country to serious risks, both domestically and internationally. The discussions reflected growing anxiety over how data breaches and dark web trading are evolving into a national security issue and a pressing policy challenge for Pakistan.
Apart from the data leak issue, the committee also reviewed the delayed merger of Ufone and Telenor. Officials from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) informed that the merger deal was in its final stages and was expected to be completed within two weeks, though it had already taken 18 months due to delays in submitting requisite data. PTA chief Hafeez Ur Rehman clarified that until the merger is finalized, the auction of spectrum for 5G services cannot be conducted. However, Senator Kamran Murtaza questioned the feasibility of completing the merger within two weeks given the prolonged delay. Officials from the Ministry of IT further briefed that the 5G auction would be held in December and stated that PTA was fully prepared, although some outstanding issues still needed resolution before the auction could proceed.
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