Senate subcommittee approves Cyber Crimes Bill

A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications on Thursday approved a cyber crimes bill and referred it to the committee for final endorsement. The bill titled, "The Protection of Cyber Crimes Bill, 2014," was moved by Senator Karim Ahmad Khawaja in the Upper House and was then referred to the committee.
The meeting of the sub-committee was held under Convenor of the Committee Dr Abdul Qayoom Soomro. The committee members said that cyber crime threatened national security and called for a comprehensive policy and establishment of a full-fledged division to combat cyber crime.
Khawaja said presently 7000-10,000 cyber crimes complaints were registered with the Federal Investigation Agency's cyber crime wing. He called for creating awareness among public about the nature of cyber crimes and how to deal with them effectively. "Majority of the people even don't know how to approach the FIA or other relevant departments in case they become victim of the cyber crime," he said. He said the PTV and private TV channels should also play their role in creating awareness among public about the issue. "The media can play a vital role in creating awareness about the crimes and different methods of their prevention," he said.
A cyber crime bill is also under consideration of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications. The committee has further constituted a committee comprising members of the parliament and some experts to review the bill.
Secretary Information Technology informed the committee members that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already given approval to the "Prevention of Electronic Crime Bill 2014," and the same has also been tabled in the National Assembly. The secretary said the assembly has referred the bill to the standing committee and it was under discussion now. He suggested the committee members to club both the bills, being discussed in the Senate and National Assembly standing committees separately to make the legislation more effective. The Federal Investigation Agency is the competent authority to look into complaints regarding the cyber crime bill and a special wing has also been created in the agency to address the complaints. The parliamentarians, however, want specific legislation on the cyber crime and strict punishment for the culprits. If the bill moved by Senator Karim Khawaja is adopted by the Standing Committee too, then it will be tabled again in the Senate for approval.