A fake Facebook profile using your photos. A blackmail threat over private pictures. An online scammer draining your bank account. In Pakistan, all of this falls squarely under cybercrime law — and most victims don’t realise how much legal protection they actually have.

⚖️ The Legal Framework: PECA 2016

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) is Pakistan’s primary cybercrime law. It criminalises a wide range of online offences and is enforced by the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Wing (FIA CCW), which operates a dedicated reporting portal and helpline.

🚩 Key Offences Under PECA

• Section 20: Offences against dignity of a person (defamatory or false online content)
• Section 21: Offences against modesty, cyberstalking, and non-consensual sharing of images
• Section 24: Cyberstalking, including repeated unwanted contact and monitoring
• Section 16: Unauthorised use of identity information
• Financial cybercrime — phishing, online fraud, and unauthorised access to bank accounts

📋 How to Report Online Harassment or Fraud

1. Preserve evidence immediately — screenshots, URLs, timestamps, and sender details.
2. File a complaint on the FIA’s official cybercrime reporting portal, or visit the nearest FIA Cyber Crime Circle office.
3. Provide your CNIC, a written statement of events, and all preserved evidence.
4. The FIA can summon the accused, seize devices, and obtain data from platforms for investigation.
5. If unresolved, the matter proceeds to trial before the Special Court established under PECA.

✅ Practical example: If someone creates a fake account impersonating you and posts defamatory content, you can file a complaint under Sections 20 and 21 of PECA simultaneously — impersonation and reputational harm are both independently punishable.

⚡ Penalties

• Cyberstalking: up to 3 years imprisonment and/or fine up to Rs. 1 million
• Offences against modesty/dignity: up to 3–5 years imprisonment depending on the offence
• Electronic fraud: up to 7 years imprisonment

💡 Practical Tips

• Never delete threatening messages — preserve them as evidence, even if disturbing.
• Do not engage or negotiate directly with a blackmailer; report immediately.
• Keep your NADRA-verified contact details updated for FIA correspondence.
• A civil defamation suit can run alongside a criminal PECA complaint for the same incident.
• Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication the moment you suspect unauthorised access.

Need Legal Assistance?

HSJ Legal, led by Advocate Hina Saleem Jessani, High Court Advocate in Karachi, assists clients in filing and pursuing FIA cybercrime complaints under PECA 2016. Contact us at https://hsjlegal.co/contact/.