Are we facing a Digital Pandemic?
By: Anonymous
Just imagine facing online abuse as a woman and think a thousand times before reporting.
In Pakistan, millions of women face online harassment but remain silent due to system design challenges. Digital technology cuts both ways; although it has many plus points, from better communication through social media to empowering businesses, on the flip side, it may be harmful when misused. Cybercrime constitutes an unlawful act committed through any digital device by using the internet to target victims through stealing information, hacking, forgery, fraud, defamation, stalking, or sexual harassment.
Cyber-based violence against women, including cyber-stalking, non-consensual image sharing, and blackmailing, is increasingly prevalent. The United Nations Regional Information Center for Western Europe categorized various forms of cyber violence against women as those listed in Figure 1 below:
In March 2021, the Economist Intelligence Unit published a report stating that 85% of all online abuse against women occurs globally.[2] The survey was conducted among 51 countries in various regions of the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, including Pakistan. It was highlighted that the rate of online harassment against women was higher in male-dominant societies.
Cybercrime against Women in Pakistan
Pakistan is a male-dominant country in the Asia-Pacific with six provinces. The United States Census Bureau estimates that out of a population of 261.7M 49.4% are women.[3] The Global Digital Report recorded that by 2025, there were 117 million internet users in Pakistan and estimated that 79.9 million persons 18 and above had active social media accounts. Female user identities comprised 28.8%, online social media accounts within the country.[4]
Being a patriarchal society, women are easily targeted and victimized as harassment, violence and honor killing. Women of any professional background face cyber-bullying by cyber-harassers. As per official statistics of Hum English News, 1.8 million women remained the victims of cybercrimes in Pakistan between 2020 and 2025 with only 3.5% convictions which tells the real story of accountability.[5]
Cybercrime Reporting Data Trends
2012-18: A study held in 2020, shows that a total of 68 cases of cyber harassment received between 2012 and 2018 and 69.11% cases were reported in Punjab. Victims were aged between 21-30 and targeted largely via Facebook and mobile phones for revenge.[6]
2020-2022: A post by the Tribune Trends Facebook page, FIA reported over 136,000 cybercrime complaints in 2022, with a high number of gender-based harassment complaints.[7] The News International highlighted that the Cyber Harassment Helpline of Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) reported a surge of 189% in complaints during the COVID-19 lockdown.[8]
2023: A Position Paper of the Center of Governance Research Pakistan describes that under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, there was a surge of 11,723 in 2023 from 310 in 2018.[9] The conviction rate was only 0.24%. The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) reported 2473 cases in 2023, out of which 2224 were cyber harassment cases, and 1371 (55.6%) were women complainants. Most complainants were in the age group 18-30, and the harassment platforms were WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.[10]
2024: As per the annual report of FIA, in 2024, the Cybercrime Wing, FIA, registered 1664 cases with 2069 accused arrested.[11]
As per Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), 2024 remained the peak year of digital violence. DRF received 3171 cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFBGV). Of the 3171, 2471 were cyber harassment cases. Women victims were 1772.[12]
2025: In 2025, Pakistan’s Interior Minister presented an official data in Parliament reflecting 142,272 cybercrime complaints filed in 2025 and courts convicted 31 accused only which shows that total conviction rate was 0.02% only.[13]
From the year 2023 to 2025 a major drop-in Conviction Rate appeared
Likewise, the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) recorded 3012 cases of online harassment against women in the year 2025 and 2586 were reported as cyber harassment. The age group of most complainants remained 18 to 30, representing 51.3% of total claims. The DRF report further highlights the growth of Generative AI and manipulated imagery harassment. Harassment platforms in the surge were WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and SIM-based mobiles.[14].
Cybercrime cases involving Pakistani women include non-consensual image/video sharing, blackmailing, stalking and character assassination. Most cases focused on high-profile female journalists, activists, and social media influencers each of whom frequently face cybercrime harassment in Pakistan.[15]
Institutional Framework of Cybercrime Cases in Pakistan
The institutional framework of cybercrime cases in Pakistan is regulated under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. The primary bodies enforcing this ACT are the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The Cybercrime Wing of FIA is designated for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime cases (PECA Sections 3, 4, 20 & 24), and PTA has the authority to block or delete unlawful content (PECA Section 37). Under the PECA, 2016, a new agency, namely the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), has been established with a mandate to focus on cybercrime cases.
Cybercrime Complaint Flow (NCCIA/FIA)
Complaint Filing:
Individuals can lodge their cybercrime complaints via the Government of Pakistan’s online Portals like the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Pakistan Citizens Portal. They may also visit in person or contact the dedicated helplines of Cybercrime Centers.[16]
Post-Complaint Process:
Once the complaint is filed, a complaint number is assigned to that complaint, and the complainant gets a verification code on their phone. The initial scrutiny of the complaint is performed by the authorities to determine whether it falls under PECA 2016. Incomplete or irrelevant complaints are not considered for further procedure. After passing through preliminary scrutiny, an investigation officer (I.O) is assigned for inquiry for initial fact-finding, and if evidence is sufficient, the case is sent for registration of First Information Report (FIR).
After that, the investigation team starts the investigation by using digital forensics and contacting social media platforms for evidence. After verification of the suspect, an arrest is made under PECA 2016, and prosecution and court proceedings are carried out for final judgment.
Key Barriers to Reporting:
Social Barriers: Being a part of an androcentric society, women and their families may face backlash for highlighting their victimization. The 2025 annual report of DRF mentions that most women requested not to approach their families to pursue their cases due to fear of consequences. Due to this intense social stigma and inadequate support, most women remain silent for opening-up against cyber harassment.
Institutional Barriers: It is highlighted that due to multiple procedural stages of a complaint, delays in FIR, low convictions, and slow court proceedings may occur, which result in victims backing away from pursuing the case.Likewise, they may also be afraid of unrelated data exposure during investigations and a lack of trust in authorities, which contributes to the decline of case reporting. As per the Hum English news,
96% of women who knocked on the doors of law enforcement agencies were denied justice 5
This is a critical question mark in Pakistan’s institutional framework’s capacity to protect women.
Technical Barriers: Under Section 28 of PECA 2016, after formal legal orders, authorities can request users’ data from platforms, whereas companies like Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) and TikTok have their own laws and request systems, which may cause further delays in criminal proceedings. Additionally, evidence collection becomes limited due to end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, which results in slowing down the data-sharing process and case reporting drop-off.
Lack of Awareness: Awareness and knowledge about rights might help mitigate cybercrimes and bullying against women. Cyber victims often are unaware of the consequences of their activities on digital platforms. Learning and using social-media platforms properly and understanding the associated risks is the sole responsibility of the user. Also, many internet users reside in rural areas and have limited resources; they remain unaware of their rights and any laws that may protect them. Similarly, educational institutions—from primary schools to universities—do not inform students about their legal rights and responsibilities while interacting on digital platforms. Parents also remain unaware that their children’s social media activities, such as sharing their personal details, locations, and daily activities, may lead to stalking or cyberbullying.
Conclusion:
Cybercrime is crisis in Pakistan, and the reporting of crimes involving women in Pakistan demonstrates a connection between legal structure, law enforcement agencies, and technical design. Although the PECA Act of 2016 and institutions like FIA and NCCIA are providing a core framework, structural deficiencies in reporting, inquiries, and transparent data sharing hinder performance. There is a lack of trust in institutions because accountability and the rate of convictions are low, which is mainly due to the absence of a centralized digital system.
To overcome this (Some potential policy recommendations)
- A fully digital centralized system, including a mobile-first application with 24/7 access, must be introduced to lodge a complaint and to keep real-time track of the complaint. In this way, victims will remain in the loop during the case and can keep track of each step of the complaint. Introduction of a centralized database dashboard with data transparency will improve the system’s efficiency.
- For initial screening of the registration of the case, including the application and sufficient evidence, an AI-driven system may be introduced to save the time of the Investigating Officer.
- To request data from platforms like Meta and TikTok, there must be a formal API to reduce investigation delays.
- Special Women’s Courts must be established for women victims; it will regain their trust. Authorities may also recruit more female staff to register reports or to investigate cases to maintain confidence and build up institutional trust.
- Media campaigns must be launched at the school, college, and university levels for awareness of legal rights and the PECA 2016 law for the protection/ security of women. Simultaneously, campaigns to provide adequate support to the families of victims may also be commenced.
The enforcement of all the above will strengthen the institutional and legal framework of Pakistan. In this way, more women victims will blow the whistle, report cybercrimes, and take the first step towards accountability.
Notes:
[1] United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe., “Cyberviolence Against Women_ Growing Threat of the Digital Age,” May 12, 2024, https://unric.org/en/cyberviolence-against-women-and-girls-the-growing-threat-of-the-digital-age/.
[2] The Economist Intelligence Unit, “Measuring the Prevalence of Online Violence against Women,” An Infographic by the Economist Intelligence Unit, March 1, 2021, https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/.
[3] United Census Bureau, “Pakistan Demographic Data as of July 1, 2026, Economic Data for 2025,” July 1, 2026, https://www.census.gov/popclock/world/pk.
[4] Simon Kemp, “Digital 2026: Pakistan,” November 8, 2025, https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-pakistan.
[5] Zahid Gishkori and Hum English, Cybercrime Soars_ 1.8M Women Victimised in Pakistan – HUM News English, March 14, 2025, https://humenglish.com/latest/cybercrime-soars-1-8m-women-victimised-in-pakistan/.
[6] Shahzadah Fahed Qureshi, Maria Abbasi, and Muhammad Shahzad, “Cyber Harassment and Women of Pakistan: Analysis of Female Victimization,” Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies 6, no. 2 (2020): 503–10, https://doi.org/10.26710/jbsee.v6i2.1150.
[7] Tribune Trends, “Tribune Trends’s Post,” September 27, 2024, https://www.facebook.com/TribuneTrends/posts/the-federal-investigative-agency-fia-has-received-approximately-390000-complaint/122159507036252649.
[8] Myra Imran and The News International, 189% Increase in Cyber Crime Reported during Pandemic Lockdown, June 4, 2020, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/667565-189-increase-in-cyber-crime-reported-during-pandemic-lockdown.
[9] Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam and Center of Governance Research Pakistan, “Position Paper: Cyber Bullying in Pakistan: The Silent Menace ‘An Ounce of Prevention Is Wortha Pound of Cure,’” preprint, Center of Governance Research Pakistan, July 4, 2024.
[10] Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) Pakistan, Cyber Harassment Helpline Report 2023 (n.d.), 10, 11, 12, https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DRFs-Cyber-Harassment-Helpline-Report-2023.pdf.
[11] Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Pakistan, FIA Performance Report 2024 (2024), 37, https://www.fia.gov.pk/files/tickers/1788909745.pdf.
[12] Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) Pakistan, Digital Rights Foundation Annual Report 2024 (2025), 8, https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DRF-Annual-Report-2024.pdf.
[13] Business Desk ProPakistani, “Pakistanis File Over 142,000 Cybercrime Complaints in 2025,” December 1, 2025, propakistani.pk/2025/12/01/pakistanis-file-over-142000-cybercrime-complaints-in-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRacL1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSdWpYckEwcWhaMmw1ZVBac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkQGMqRzHUZrShy345hGlkQ7rEigO_K4oAomf8dAs7E1FhBOMJ_8imIIag61_aem_ZeDlSRWP2hnFGEdMGV_h3g.
[14] Viral Misogyny and the Killing of Sana Yousaf (June 2, 2025), https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Case-Study-Viral-Misogyny-and-the-Killing-of-Sana-Yousaf.pdf.
[15] Dr. Amar Malik, “Honour Killing in Pakistan,” SSRN Electronic Journal, ahead of print, 2014, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2411680; BBC News, “Qandeel Baloch_ Pakistan Social Media Celebrity _killed by Brother_ – BBC News,” Qandeel Baloch: Pakistan’s Social Media Celebrity “Killed by Brother,” July 16, 2026; The Express Tribune, Imsha Rahman Breaks Silence on Video Controversy, February 3, 2025, https://tribune.com.pk/story/2526311/imsha-rehman-speaks-out-against-death-threats-after-video-controversy; Viral Misogyny and the Killing of Sana Yousaf.
[16] Digital Rights Foundation Pakistan, “Countering Digital ThreatsToolkit,” preprint, October 3, 2023.