ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top investigation agency, the FIA, has cautioned the public against a surge in online fraud, saying scammers were posing as officers to extort money and sensitive information from social media and email users.
The FIA is a border control, criminal investigation, counterintelligence and security agency tasked with undertaking operations against terrorism, espionage, smuggling, and infringement. Its cybercrime wing stands defunct since last month when the government established the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
“Unauthorized individuals are impersonating FIA officers and circulating fabricated notices through various electronic communication channels i.e. email, WhatsApp and other such social media platforms,” an FIA spokesperson said in a press release on Tuesday.
“These deceptive notices falsely accuse recipients of criminal activity and often employ scare tactics by threatening legal action or demanding immediate financial compensation.”
Scammers were also trying to extract “elicit sensitive personal information” under the pretense of “verification or compliance,” th FIA said, clarifying that the agency would never request sensitive information like bank details from people via phone calls or notices.
“All official communication is initiated only after prior investigation and with a clearly identified case number,” the FIA said, urging the public to “exercise caution” and report any such incident on the agency’s helpline 1991 or at the nearest FIA office.
The newly-formed NCCIA that has taken over from the FIA’s cybercrime wing will be headed by a director-general, chosen by the federal government to serve a two-year term, with at least 15 years of experience in the fields of computer science, digital forensics, cyber technology, law, public administration, information technology and telecommunication.
The NCCIA chief will exercise the powers of an inspector general of police while the agency’s affairs related to the federal government’s business will be allocated to the Interior Division. The NCCIA is also the designated agency in terms of international investigations and cooperation.
Pakistan’s top investigation agency warns public against rising online fraud
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Pakistan’s top investigation agency warns public against rising online fraud
- FIA says scammers impersonating FIA officers and circulating fabricated notices to extract sensitive information
- FIA cybercrime wing defunct since new National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency announced last month under
45 minutes to pack up a lifetime as Pakistan’s foreigner crackdown sends Afghans scrambling
- Local aid groups in Afghanistan say they are unable to cope with the large influx of returning Afghans
- Iran has also been deporting Afghan nationals, with hundreds of thousands returning home since April
TORKHAM, Afghanistan: The order was clear and indisputable, the timeline startling. You have 45 minutes to pack up and leave Pakistan forever.
Sher Khan, a 42-year-old Afghan, had returned home from his job in a brick factory. He stared at the plainclothes policeman on the doorstep, his mind reeling. How could he pack up his whole life and leave the country of his birth in under an hour?
In the blink of an eye, the life he had built was taken away from him. He and his wife grabbed a few kitchen items and whatever clothes they could for themselves and their nine children. They left everything else behind at their home in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Born in Pakistan to parents who fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ensuing war, Khan is one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have now been expelled.
The nationwide crackdown, launched in October 2023, on foreigners Pakistan says are living in the country illegally has led to the departures of almost 1 million Afghans already.
Pakistan says millions more remain. It wants them gone.
Leaving with nothing to beat a deadline
“All our belongings were left behind,” Khan said as he stood in a dusty, windswept refugee camp just across the Afghan border in Torkham, the first stop for expelled refugees. “We tried so hard (over the years) to collect the things that we had with honor.”
Pakistan set several deadlines earlier this year for Afghans to leave or face deportation. Afghan Citizen Card holders had to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31, while those with Proof of Registration could stay until June 30. No specific deadlines were set for Afghans living elsewhere in Pakistan.
Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him a blow to his family’s dignity.
“We are happy that we came (to Afghanistan) with modesty and honor,” he said. As for his lost belongings, “God may provide for them here, as He did there.”
A refugee influx in a struggling country
At the Torkham camp, run by Afghanistan’s Taliban government, each family receives a SIM card and 10,000 Afghanis ($145) in aid. They can spend up to three days there before having to move on.
The camp’s director, Molvi Hashim Maiwandwal, said some 150 families were arriving daily from Pakistan — far fewer than the roughly 1,200 families who were arriving about two months ago. But he said another surge was expected after the three-day Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha.
Aid organizations inside the camp help with basic needs, including health care. Local charity Aseel provides hygiene kits and helps with food. It has also set up a food package delivery system for families once they arrive at their final destination elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Aseel’s Najibullah Ghiasi said they expected a surge in arrivals “by a significant number” after Eid. “We cannot handle all of them, because the number is so huge,” he said, adding the organization was trying to boost fundraising so it could support more people.
Pakistan blames Afghanistan for militancy
Pakistan accuses Afghans of staging militant attacks inside the country, saying assaults are planned from across the border — a charge Kabul’s Taliban government denies.
Pakistan denies targeting Afghans, and maintains that everyone leaving the country is treated humanely and with dignity. But for many, there is little that is humane about being forced to pack up and leave in minutes or hours.
Iran, too, has been expelling Afghans, with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, saying on June 5 that 500,000 Afghans had been forced to leave Iran and Pakistan in the two months since April 1.
Rights groups and aid agencies say authorities are pressuring Afghans into going sooner.
In April, Human Rights Watch said police had raided houses, beaten and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. Officers demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan, the group added.
Searching for hope while starting again
Fifty-year-old Yar Mohammad lived in Azad Kashmir for nearly 45 years. The father of 12 built a successful business polishing floors, hiring several workers. Plainclothes policemen knocked on his door too. They gave him six hours to leave.
“No way a person can wrap up so much business in six hours, especially if they spent 45 years in one place,” he said. Friends rushed to his aid to help pack up anything they could: the company’s floor-polishing machines, some tables, bed-frames and mattresses, and clothes.
Now all his household belongings are crammed into orange tents in the Torkham refugee camp, his hard-earned floor-polishing machines outside and exposed to the elements. After three days of searching, he managed to find a place to rent in Kabul.
“I have no idea what we will do,” he said, adding that he would try to recreate his floor-polishing business in Afghanistan. “If this works here, it is the best thing to do.”
Pakistan’s diplomatic team offers condolences to India over plane crash after arriving in Brussels
- Head of the Pakistani delegation Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari says he is ‘saddened’ to hear about the tragic incident
- India, Pakistan dispatched officials to world capitals to press their cases following a military confrontation in May
KARACHI: The head of Pakistan’s delegation visiting world capitals to present Islamabad’s position on a recent military standoff with New Delhi on Thursday expressed condolences over an Indian plane crash involving 242 people after his team arrived in Brussels to hold meetings.
The Air India flight bound for London crashed minutes after takeoff from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad earlier in the day, according to the airline and local police.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether there were any fatalities in the flight that was en route to Gatwick Airport before it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
“Saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred earlier today,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a former Pakistani foreign minister, said in a social media post on X. “Where an Air India flight with approximately 240 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad, India. I express my profound condolences to the people of India.”
Pakistan and India have launched parallel diplomatic offensives around the world following their worst military confrontation in decades that saw an exchange of missile, drone and artillery strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbors before the US and other allies brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
The Pakistani delegation has already visited the United States and the United Kingdom before arriving in Belgium.
“Pakistan’s diplomatic mission led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reached Brussels, the European Union headquarters, after successful visits to Washington, New York and London,” Radio Pakistan said in its report on Thursday. “The parliamentary delegation will inform the European authorities about India’s anti-Pakistan intentions and aggressive actions.”
It added the Pakistani delegation will also meet leading European think tanks and international media representatives.
Presenting Pakistan’s position on the recent tensions with India and highlighting the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions are key items on the agenda.
Pakistan criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar a day earlier for delivering “bellicose punchlines” during his Brussels visit that took place shortly before the arrival of Islamabad’s delegation in the city.
The Indian minister had asserted New Delhi reserved the right to target Pakistan following a militant attack.
Mixed weather conditions forecast as Pakistan issues advisory for June 13-18
- Hot weather will persist in much of the country, particularly in the two southern provinces
- Scattered rainfall and gusty winds are also forecast in the northern regions amid rising heat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster management agency on Thursday issued an impact-based weather advisory warning of hot and dry conditions in most parts of the country, with scattered rain and windstorms expected in northern and upper regions between June 13 and 18.
The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), part of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said a weak western weather system was expected to affect upper areas of the country and could influence weather patterns across multiple provinces.
“In Punjab, hot weather is expected to persist throughout the week,” the officials statement said.
“However, the Potohar region and upper Punjab, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, may experience cloudy conditions, scattered rainfall, and windstorms.”
Similar conditions are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where mostly hot weather will prevail, but districts such as Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Mansehra, Swat, Peshawar and surrounding areas may see scattered rain and gusty winds.
In Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, hot weather is forecast, although areas like Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Shighar, Bagh and Neelum Valley could experience isolated rainfall during the same period.
By contrast, Sindh and Balochistan are expected to remain predominantly hot and dry, with no significant rainfall anticipated during the advisory window.
The NDMA said it was closely monitoring the evolving weather situation and coordinating with provincial and district authorities to ensure timely preparedness and response.
It advised residents in heat-prone regions to take precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor exposure during peak heat hours (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and checking on vulnerable individuals such as children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.
“It is also crucial never to leave children or pets unattended in parked vehicles,” the statement said.
The authority urged travelers and tourists visiting northern or hilly regions to stay updated on local weather conditions and to follow safety adviseries.
The NDMA also encouraged the public to use its Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and emergency alerts.
Pakistan chosen for WHO program offering free cancer drugs for children
- Health ministry says Pakistan will start getting free medicines from next year
- Each year, more than 8,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been selected to join a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that will provide free, essential cancer medicines for children starting this year, the country’s health ministry said on Thursday.
The program, known as the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, aims to improve survival rates among children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries by ensuring reliable and equitable access to life-saving drugs.
“It is a matter of pride that Pakistan has been selected for this program in 2025,” Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said in the statement. “This is a major milestone in ensuring free cancer medicines for children next year.”
Each year, more than 8,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer, he continued. However, many are unable to receive timely or effective treatment due to limited drug availability, high costs and weak health care infrastructure.
The health minister noted that a large number of children die as a result of these gaps.
Kamal emphasized that Pakistan would fully utilize the support provided through the platform, calling it a unique opportunity to address local health challenges using global resources.
“Through this program, Pakistan can access international support to overcome domestic challenges in delivering timely and effective treatment,” he said.
The global platform, launched in 2022, is backed by a $200 million commitment from St. Jude and operates in coordination with WHO.
It supports countries in developing sustainable supply chains, treatment protocols and health care capacity to address childhood cancers. Pakistan is among a growing list of countries to be included as the platform scales up its outreach.
Family of detained Baloch rights activist moves Supreme Court against her arrest
- Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been held in a Quetta prison since she was arrested on March 22
- She published a letter from jail in a US magazine, saying ‘speaking for justice is not a crime’
ISLAMABAD: The family of a detained Pakistani Baloch rights activists, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn a provincial court ruling that upheld her arrest under public order laws, according to a local media report.
Baloch, a physician and a civil society activists, has been held at Quetta’s Hudda District Jail since March 22 after she participated in protests following a separatist militant attack on a passenger train in Balochistan.
She was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, a move her supporters described as part of a broader crackdown on nonviolent dissent in the restive province.
The petition, filed by her sister, argues that the detention is arbitrary and aimed at silencing peaceful activism.
“Nadia Baloch, the sister of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to set aside the April 15 order of the Balochistan High Court that rejected the plea against her detention under the Maintenance of Public Order,” the English-language newspaper Dawn quoted from the petition.
The detained activist, who leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, also published a letter from prison in the US-based Time magazine this week, in which she asserted that “speaking up for justice is not a crime.”
Pakistani authorities have accused Baloch of promoting the narrative of separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in public. However, her letter in the American magazine maintained the officials had not provided any evidence of her links with BLA or any other militant group while criticizing the authorities for blurring the line between militancy and peaceful protest.
Earlier this year, the Balochistan High Court dismissed Baloch’s initial challenge to her detention, advising her to seek administrative remedies instead of judicial relief.
Her sister’s petition has now asked the apex court to suspend that ruling and review whether constitutional protections such as habeas corpus were ignored in the previous judicial decision.
The Supreme Court has yet to announce when it will take up the case for hearing.
