A cellular company has refused to provide criminal data to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the purpose of investigation, saying the agency should come up trough a 'proper channel', official sources privy to the information told Business Recorder on Monday.
"An investigating officer of the FIA may seek data of any person for investigation from the cellular companies under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and refusal to provide such data is an offence according to the law. But a cellular company has refused to provide data of the suspected criminals," they said requesting anonymity. "It is a clear violation of Section 31 and 35 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act and such tactics may create hurdles in functioning of this agency," they opined.
According to cellular company, directives, the investigating personnel of the agency will first contact the FIA Headquarters, Islamabad, for obtaining any criminal data for investigation. Meanwhile, the Headquarters will refer the matter to the concerned company which will finally provide the recommended data to the investigating officer. But this process takes much time which delays the process of investigation, the sources said.
Recently, they said, a senior officer of the agency asked the cellular company, to provide data of an alleged criminal but they refused and suggested him to first take up this matter with the FIA Headquarters and then contact it for provision of data.
Earlier, they said, the agency had arranged a meeting comprising members of the cellular companies, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other top officials of the concerned departments to resolve this matter on a permanent basis so that the time could be saved and investigation could be completed at the earliest. After the meeting, the FIA had also issued notices to the companies.