Guest Post by Changez Khan
4th InfoSec 2008 International Conference on Information Security, co-organized by National Response Center for Cyber Crimes (NR3C), FIA is going to happen tomorrow (August 27, 2008) at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan. This time, the audience will be really shock to see a controversial person in Pakistani Internet Community delivering his presentation on a topic named as: “Cyber Crime Prosecution: Investigation, Forensics Procedure and the Court”.
The organizers of the event may lack the information that this person, a legal expert, named as Zahid Jamil is behind the self proclaimed Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (DNDRC); who is allegedly involved in very serious kinds of Cyber Squatting activities by forming DNDRC under the domain names of DNDRC.com, DNDRC.net, DNDRC.org, DNDRC.info, having confusingly similar domains to the ADNDRC.org the ICANN approved organization.
He has allegedly hijacked .PK domain names such as BUDGET.COM.PK and DJUICE.PK to earn easy money of about 800 USD per case but after receiving tough time by original registrant of DJUICE.PK on his unilateral and biased decision, Zahid Jamil has reportedly closed this business due to severe loss of credibility among the Internet community of Pakistan.
When E-Crime Bill was introduced in the country, he opposed it aggressively on different forums but on the other hand, he is misusing it by threatening the Pakistani people with it. At ICANN, Zahid Jamil admits as “I have also been working informally with the Federal Investigation Agency’s National Response to Cyber Crime Cell (NR3C) in certain cyber crime cases.” http://gnso.icann.org/council/soi/jamil-soi-28jun08.shtml
The real owner of a hijacked domain had said on a public forum as: “Yesterday I have received some serious threats via telephonic calls from the DNDRC (Domain Name Dispute Resolution Center for .PK) domains regarding my complaint on the domain; they have pressurized me to withdraw my complaint. As a matter of fact I had already proved them that I have never been contacted by them on this domain dispute…” The DNDRC should have no right to make phone calls to the victims of their decisions to further threaten them.
Zahid Jamil is apparently also involved in Typosquatting, also called URL Hijacking, which, according to Wikipedia, is a form of cybersquatting which relies on mistakes such as typographical errors made by Internet users when inputting a website address into a web browser. Zahid Jamil owned the domain name of DOMIANNAMEDISPUTERESOLUTION.COM (with misspell of DomAin as DomIan) to redirect visitors of DOMAINNAMEDISPUTERESOLUTION.COM, registered by a US based Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, P.C, a Top IP Law Firm of the world located at UN Plaza, New York. http://www.frosszelnick.com
Zahid Jamil also used to impress the Pakistani community as a member of an ICANN constituency (the only member in that constituency from Pakistan) with voting rights in the ICANN structure” but very few people know that Mr. Tim Ruiz of ICANN has replied him while discussing Revised Community Travel Support Procedure for FY09 as: “Zahid, If the policy work of ICANN is not core to your business, why are you involved?( Reference: http://gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/msg05345.html)
There are also reports circulating that Zahid Jamil is involved in another illegal online Business at www.dotpk.pk which holds Domain Names of Pakistani Business Community illegally like: ARYDIGITAL.PK, DAEWOO.PK, HOLIDAYINN.PK, BEACONHOUSE.PK, LUMS.PK and many more. He is securing the money by selling those held domains, eg: GEONEWS.PK, GOOGLE.PK, NOKIA.PK, etc. By registering .PK Domain Names of Trade Mark Holders with proxy names, he don’t left any option to the business community but to buy domain names at DOTPK.PK or to consult his DNDRC whose fee is 800 USD per case.
Thus, due to his controversial role in cybersquating of his illegal businesses, we should object his any role at national and international level which could harm public interests at the large. A person who himself is violating internet law and openly examples cybersquating should be discouraged to represent at InfoSec 2008.
If someone is interested to know more about him, just type in Google Zahid Jamil DNDRC.
Disclaimer: I found this article of controversial nature and ProPakistani.com does not own and may not agree with discussion carried away in this article by the original writer. Furthermore, I also discovered that some of the content in this article was taken from Pakpoint.com and mobizong.com
I sure hope that there is some serious supporting evidence behind all this as I suspect a very quick law suit in the works – there is one thing about accusing a public personality and it is entirely different to lend accustions on a private persons way of doing business – if at all he has a hand in all this in any profit making venture then come with evidence not a huge rant into wilderneSs throwing the book half of which. Is crap
What I see is that DNDRC are registerd by him to serve as a platform for dispute resolution – does that signify Ashar and Zahid in cahoots – it does not
You better have proof as labelling him with the hijacking word OUCH
Why do I suspect Imtiaz M behind all this – it some how reeks of his earlier rant on Pakistan ICT policy forum – a change of name can’t help you much as the domain owner gets Blackballed either way – issue any disclaimer – will not whitewash you of a law suit – you’re screwed for hosting it
Run for the hills and don’t cry if a notice is served by the close of today’s business
Ps – I am not Zahid – and don’t know him – but thought id share a few moments of wisdom before the sweaty hands start to piss – just honest advise from me before its too late
And please don’t cry later specially on the Pakistan ICT policy forum
On a side note the DJUICE website was a trademark infringemnt no mater how hard you cry
Well done, aamir…
I would like to share more information.
In his Statement of Interest (SOI) at ICANN, Zahid Jamil expressed as: “In a recent event that took place in Pakistan, where a IT Company owner who was proved innocent was arrested for using VoIP, I provided pro bono legal advice. Also during Youtube’s blocking by Pakistan’s Telecom Authority, I successfully lobbied and advocated the withdrawal of the block. As such I am deeply concerned about the stability and security of the Internet and the need to educate all stakeholders, especially regulators, against ill-advised regulatory mechanisms to ‘control’ the internet that may result in the fracturing or instability of a global, secure, stable and 24×7 available internet.” http://gnso.icann.org/council/soi/jamil-soi-28jun08.shtml
Every one of us knows that the Cogilant Incident was due to a mistake and PTA, FIA and Minister of IT & Telecom of that time openly apologize on it. Action against Youtube was carried by PTA on Good Faith. I can’t understand why Zahid Jamil is presenting these incidents on international forums to give the country bad name for his own business interests.
Moreover, in the ICANN meeting (Operating Plan Workshop) held at New Delhi, India this year, his contribution was to ask grants for him like a beggar. According to minutes of the meeting, he contributed nothing but
“Hi there. My name is Zahid Jamil. I’m a lawyer for — I represent ccTLD interests in Pakistan. I saw the global outreach budget. 3 million seems very good. But you said it was only for new TLDs. There is a concern at — you know, maybe it’s not, and I’d just like a clarification on that….Because just to sort of put a point across that certain countries like, you know, Pakistan and others are basically feeling that there’s not a lot of awareness on ICANN issues and we would like to promote that to have a better understanding, and I just wanted to know whether there’s any fiscal funding for that kind of process. Thank you.”
https://delhi.icann.org/files/Delhi-WS-OperatingPlan-13feb08.txt
Well, the threatening statement can also be proved as Zahid Jamil openly threatened the victim of DJUICE.PK on Pakistan ICT Policy Group as:
“No one would have any sympathy with the cybersquatter who is fortunate that Telenor did not approach NR3C under the new E-Crime Ordinance in regards its website. Had an FIR in this case been registered (and under this new Ordinance cybersqautting can be seen as Electronic Fraud and also possibly come under its definition of spoofing) then I think the cybersquatter would have found it far more difficult. Please also note that the E-Crime Ordinance allows for international cooperation allowing NR3C to pursue the accused or witnesses outside Pakistan using INTERPOL.”
Cybersquatting, according to the United States Federal Law known as the Anti- Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. Zahid Jamil is doing exactly same by displaying click through advertisements on his Domain Names. Just visit http://www.dndrc.net and http://www.dndrc.info by examining yourself. The case of TypoSquatting is already mentioned in the story.
Please note that he is misusing the name of DNDRC of China which was established in November 2000. http://www.cnnic.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1499.htm
Who is Cyber Squatter? You decide ;)
I think he is a genius guy, this is what we called domainer. Loads of people outside Pakistan are doing the same thing.
Dear Sir,
I am a regular visitor of your esteem Blog and appreciate you for exposing such Black Sheeps among us.
I can share you one more info. that the domain DJUICE.PK was hijacked by Mr. Zahid Jamil to Telenor Pakistan to impress her Female friend who holds a leading position in Corporate Communication Department. I am not telling her name but you can confirm it with any Telenor official working on Managerial post at Islamabad Office.
Well, I have quite a few telephonic conversations with Mr. Zahid Jameel right after the recent PKNIC blunder. May be I was referred by a mutual friend that’s why he seemed to be a nice guy. But you never know. Let’s see how he reacts to my questions on this event If I attended it.
@kiran
I don’t know for sure but I think his female friend’s name was Zunaira Durrani?
PS: I never worked for Telenor or have any association.