According to the Cyber Crime Unit (CCU), a branch of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), 62 cases were reported to the unit in 2007, 287 cases in 2008 and while the ratio dropped in 2009, in 2010 more than 312 cases were registered in different categories of cybercrimes. It has increased much more in the years 2013 and 2014.
The number of FIRs in 2014 was 126 that were related to social crimes, hate speech, derogation, pornography, insult, sectarian violence along with privacy breaches while the percentage of grey traffic FIRs was considerably more in 2015. Sources at FIA revealed that 90% of social media harassment cases are being reported out of which 80% are pursued and only 5% are able to reach to the FIR stage after which the courts come into scene.
According to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in 2014-2015 period, 3,027 cyber crimes cases were reported, 45 percent of those targeted were women using Facebook. Pakistanis are more defenseless to bullying online.
Violation of cyber-crime laws in Pakistan can result in the following punishments:
• Up to three years imprisonment, Rs1 million fine or both for unauthorized access to critical infrastructure information system or data.
• Up to seven years imprisonment, Rs10 million fine or both for interference with critical infrastructure information system or data with dishonest intention.
• Up to seven years imprisonment, Rs10 million fine or both for glorification of an offence relating to terrorism, any person convicted of a crime relating to terrorism or proscribed individuals or groups. Glorification is explained as “depiction of any form of praise or celebration in a desirable manner”
• Up to six months imprisonment, Rs50 thousand or both for producing, making, generating, adapting, exporting, supplying, offering to supply or importing a device for use in an offence.
• Up to three years imprisonment, Rs5 million fine or both for obtaining, selling, possessing, transmitting or using another person’s identity information without authorization.