Copyright brecorder
EDITORIAL: The unfolding scandal surrounding the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is not just another case of official misconduct; it is a damning reflection of the decay that has seeped into our law enforcement institutions. The arrest of nine senior NCCIA officials on charges of bribery, extortion, and abuse of authority has shaken public confidence in an agency created barely a year ago to protect citizens from cyber threats. Instead of curbing crime, the NCCIA appears to have turned into a centre of corruption, where power was allegedly used not for justice, but for personal enrichment. The allegations are deeply concerning. Among those implicated are senior officers who, according to investigators, extorted huge sums of money — including Rs100 million from popular YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, better known as Ducky Bhai. What began as an inquiry into the alleged promotion of gambling apps on social media, according to an FIA prosecutor, unravelled into a story of coercion and corruption. Rehman’s complaint to the FIA revealed how those meant to enforce the law were themselves breaking it with impunity. When senior officials entrusted with protecting citizens from cybercriminals begin to behave like criminals themselves, it points to a much deeper institutional crisis. The NCCIA, formed in May last year by converting the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing, was supposed to modernise and strengthen Pakistan’s response to online crime. Yet, within months, it seems to have lost its moral and operational compass. The allegations suggest that extortion and misuse of power may not have been isolated incidents but symptoms of a broader culture of impunity. No less disturbing is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of one of the suspects and his wife — the latter having filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking recovery of her husband — a NCCIA deputy director — before vanishing herself. No satisfactory explanation has been provided for their disappearance or for how they and other missing officers later resurfaced and were presented before a magistrate in Lahore. This murky sequence of events only adds to public suspicion that powerful actors may be operating beyond the reach of accountability. The FIA and the government cannot afford to treat this matter as routine. A thorough, transparent, and independent investigation is imperative not only to punish those directly involved, but also to uncover how the agency’s internal systems failed so spectacularly. The NCCIA’s credibility has been severely compromised. And without decisive reform, it will remain an institution unfit to perform its mandate. The lesson here extends beyond a single agency. Corruption thrives where oversight is weak, and accountability is selective. Pakistan’s law enforcement system, already burdened by inefficiency and political interference, now faces the added challenge of regaining public trust in the digital age. The NCCIA scandal should serve as a wake-up call — an opportunity to clean house, enforce transparency, and rebuild an agency that actually protects citizens rather than preys on them. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
