Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday took notice of the reported leakage of the data of mobile phone SIMs, forming a special team to investigate the matter and submit a report within two weeks.
“Following the interior minister’s directives, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency has constituted a special investigation team to probe into the matter and submit its report within 14 days,” read a press release issued by the Interior Ministry. It said the team would thoroughly examine the circumstances and identify and bright to justice all those involved in the data leakage.
Earlier, media reports had said the data of all SIM holders in Pakistan was available online through simple Google searches, adding information regarding mobile location was selling for Rs. 500, mobile data records for Rs. 2,000 and details of foreign trips for Rs. 5,000.
The leaked data includes ordinary citizens as well as senior government officials, raising concerns about data security and state oversight. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had previously stated it was blocking access to such websites, however they continue to be accessible outside Pakistan.
Earlier this year, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team of Pakistan (PKCERT) had issued an advisory warning of the theft of the login credentials and passwords of over 180 million internet users in Pakistan. It had urged people to take immediate protective measures, noting the leak impacted major social media services, as well as government portals, banking institutions, and healthcare platforms worldwide.