Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommication Authority (PTA) Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman confirmed that personal data of Pakistani citizens has been discovered on the dark web.

Announcement came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, led by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, which addressed recent media reports of a significant data breach in the telecom sector.

“A report surfaced three week ago indicating that some Pakistani citizens’ data had appeared on the dark web. Upon verification we found that personal data of Pakistani citizens was indeed available there”, the PTA Chairman stated.

The leaked information reportedly includes copies of national identity cards (CNICs), travel histories and mobile SIM details. He explained that mobile SIM data is not stored centrally but is kept separately by each telecom provider.

Expressing alarm over the breach, he noted, “What’s alarming is how this scattered data ended up collectively on the dark web”. He also mentioned that even information from individuals who applied for Hajj has been compromised and is now online.

“We are currently analysing the leaked information to determine whether it is old data or part of a more recent breach”, he added confirming that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is actively investigating the situation.

Additionally, the PTA Chairman revealed that a complete data profile of an individual can be purchased on the dark web for as little as Rs500.