Overview
- At a Senate Interior Committee session, PML-N Senator Afnanullah Khan alleged a recently updated, consolidated trove combining NADRA, FBR and banking records is for sale on the dark web, with single records offered for Rs500 and nationwide data for Rs70–80bn; the pricing claims were not independently verified in these reports.
- The senator argued that theft on such a scale would require insider involvement within state institutions that hold citizens’ data.
- Immigration and Passports Director General Mustafa Jamal Kazi cited WhatsApp sharing of IDs as a leak vector, said a dashboard now flags fraudulent travel, and told senators an inquiry led to the removal of officials.
- A lawyer present said his identity was used to obtain a fake passport that enabled travel to India in 2023, illustrating the risks of identity theft and document fraud.
- Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the government is moving to establish a cybersecurity authority, and members urged firmer terms for social media platforms that do not cooperate with authorities.