Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman has disclosed that the personal data of nearly 300,000 Hajj applicants has been leaked and is available on the dark web. He made these revelations during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.
The PTA chief stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation to identify the sources of these leaks, noting that while an internal inquiry was carried out in 2022, the Ministry of Interior has now initiated a formal probe into the matter.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan informed the committee that data is stolen separately from multiple institutions, later compiled and sold illegally. He warned that the absence of robust laws leaves citizens vulnerable.
The committee’s chairperson also highlighted personal experiences of fraudulent calls related to bank transactions, questioning how scammers gain access to such sensitive details.
In response, the PTA chairman clarified that no telecom-related data has appeared on the dark web in the past two years, but emphasized the urgent need for a national-level mechanism to ensure data security.
The committee expressed dissatisfaction over delays in introducing data protection legislation. Officials from the Ministry of IT briefed that a draft bill had been prepared and stakeholder consultations were underway.
Senator Afnan Ullah further cautioned that delaying legislation could have severe consequences for the country’s security and citizens’ privacy.
The meeting also reviewed the merger of Ufone and Telenor. Representatives from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) informed the committee that the process, pending for 18 months due to delays in data submission, was now in its final stages and expected to be completed within two weeks.
The PTA chief stated that the 5G spectrum auction cannot proceed until the merger is finalized. Ministry of IT officials added that the 5G auction is scheduled for December, though unresolved issues remain.
