PAKISTAN: The federal government has ramped up its efforts against anti-state activities on social media, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) key in identifying and prosecuting participants.
Official data indicates that the NCCIA has registered 356 FIRs throughout Pakistan against people charged with disseminating anti-state propaganda online. Furthermore, 789 inquiries have been started to examine individuals involved in sharing content aimed at state institutions.
In the recent Marka-e-Haq campaign, as anti-army content became prominent on social media, the NCCIA recorded 52 cases against people purportedly involved in disseminating material against the military.
Authorities stated that the agency also significantly contributed to aiding law enforcement during the inquiry of the May 9, 2025 event, where social media was reportedly utilized to coordinate assaults. Through the examination of digital traces and past posts of suspects, authorities were able to gather evidence that resulted in the conviction of multiple defendants in Lahore, Sargodha, and Mianwali.
To prevent the abuse of online platforms, several Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) have been established. NCCIA similarly sustains strong collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to guarantee prompt removal of detrimental content, while accounts recognized in such initiatives are consistently sent to platforms for blocking.
The agency’s Open Source Intelligence Unit (OSINT) persists in tracking online behavior to identify new trends of anti-government propaganda. Officials indicated that these initiatives intend to halt the proliferation of disinformation before it gathers momentum.
The government asserts that these actions are essential to safeguard national security and state institutions against coordinated disinformation efforts, which have progressively moved into the digital space.
