Overview

• The PTA told senators that roughly 300,000 to 350,000 Hajj applicants’ personal records have appeared on the dark web, and the Interior Ministry has assigned the investigation to the National Cyber Crime Agency to assess any link to the 2022 leak.
• Lawmakers questioned the new agency’s capacity to handle the case, and a PML-N senator alleged foreign pressure is discouraging Pakistan from enacting data protection legislation.
• The Senate IT committee referred an alleged Rs6 billion customer overbilling controversy involving Jazz to the Public Accounts Committee after an audit and complaints over deteriorating mobile service quality.
• Members pressed the IT ministry over delays on the long-promised Data Protection Bill and raised concerns about the security of databases held by the Election Commission and NADRA.
• Officials said multiple submarine cables were severed near Yemen, slowing nationwide internet speeds for weeks, with three new links to Europe slated to come online in 12 to 18 months.