ISLAMABAD - The federal government Friday notified the establishment of the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Official sources said the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) stands defunct as the federal government established a new agency for probing electronic crimes.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication issued an official notification for the abolition of the FIA’s cyber-crime wing, saying that the federal government took the decision in the exercise of powers conferred by section 51 read with section 29 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2016.
“There shall hereby stand established the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to exercise jurisdiction under the Act [Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, 2016] and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) shall cease to perform functions as designated investigation agency under the Act,” the statemen
According to a notification in The Gazette of Pakistan from the information ministry, the NCCIA was formed under Section 51 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca) and the FIA would now cease to perform functions as the designated investigation agency under the act.
It added that all existing personnel, assets, liabilities, rights, obligations, privileges, inquiries and investigations related to the FIA’s “defunct” Cybercrime Wing would now stand transferred to the NCCIA.
However, it said that existing personnel of the FIA Cybercrime Wing would continue to perform their duties for another year until the appointment of staff in the NCCIA.
The NCCIA will be headed by a director-general, chosen by the federal government to serve a two-year term. It pointed out that the candidate would have to have “not less than 15 years of experience” in the fields of computer science, digital forensics, cyber technology, law, public administration, information technology, telecommunication or related fields to enable him to deal with offences under the Peca act.
The notification said the NCCIA chief would exercise the powers of an inspector general of police while the agency’s affairs related to the federal government’s business would be allocated to the Interior Division.
It added that the NCCIA would also be the designated agency in respect of international cooperation