FIA finalises automatic system to block immoral content on social media

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday told the Senate’s Committee on Interior that a project was finalised with an amount of $20 million to bring automatic system to block the immoral and slanderous contents on the social media.

The Senate Committee directed to forward the summary in this regard to the cabinet and also directed to take funds from the telecom services providers to make the monitoring system more effective.

The meeting of the Senate Committee on Interior held under its Chairman Abdul Rehman Malik on Friday to review security measures for Elections 2018 and to discuss security arrangements for upcoming elections, the cyber crime situation in the country in the context of elections and deaths of three girls in Fort Abbas.

The Senate Committee was also informed that rules of the recently passed Cyber Crime Acts were finalised and now only approval will be taken from the competent authority. It was informed to the committee that now there will be 15 monitoring centers as earlier there were monitoring centers in each province.

Member Senate’s Committee on Interior Senator Rana Maqbool suggested that the Pemra should telecast the public messages on the electronic media with regard to cyber crimes while the FIA should take the stern action against those who were involved in the Cyber crimes.

Chairman of the Committee Abdul Rehman Malik asserted that the government of Pakistan must hold talks with international social media forces so that measures can be taken against the culprits who were involved in the negative and immoral use of the social media. Senator Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh was of the view that it was imperative that stringent measures be taken in a few days before elections so that elements that seek to damage candidate credibility could be taken to task.

Seconding the opinion of Senator Shaikh, Chairman Committee Senator Malik stressed the need for FIA and PTA to get together and devise a strategy to immediately redress the complaints. He also asserted that to deal with cybercrime issues effectively it was crucial that the capacity of the Cybercrime Cell be enhanced.

The Director Cyber Crime of FIA told the committee that actions have been taken against those who were propagating fake news, immoral material, rumours and other insulting content on the social media. He told the committee that complaints from 10 parliamentarians received that include Shela Raza, Senator Talha Mehmood, Peer Sadaruddin Shah, Ayesha Gulalai and others.

Chairman Senate Committee Rehman Malik began the meeting by reiterating his commitment to bring the culprits to task who were involved in the death of three minor girls who strayed into the desert in Bhawalnagar.

While talking to Dr Azka Haleem, Woman Medical Officer at Basic Health Unite, Fort Abbas, Bhawalnagar who had conducted medical investigation of three girls, it was revealed that they had been sexually assaulted and that they did not die of starvation or a sandstorm in the desert.

Chairman Committee Senator Malik issued special instructions for protection of the doctor and her family. He said he would recommend the doctor for the Pride of Performance Award.

The Punjab police team from Bhawalnagar was instructed to return on Monday with details of the initial report that would be placed before a sub-committee under Senator Rana Maqbool. Senator Malik also ordered a probe into the sources that were used to pay the victims family Rs25 lakhs.

The meeting was attended by Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Senator Kulsoom Parveen, Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and senior officers from Ministry of Interior, PTA and Punjab police and Forensic expert from Bhawalnagar.