Must Read: Cyber Crimes and Their Punishments

Just in case you missed the news, National Assembly yesterday passed the cyber crime bill that is going to become a law once it’s approved by Senate and then authorized by President of Pakistan.

At this point, when there are new laws relating to internet, smartphones and overall web, it is extremely important for you to know them or you can land yourself into a horrific situation unintentionally or out of ignorance.

Read following carefully:

  • Unauthorized access to anyone’s phone, laptop etc. can put you behind the bars for three months or a fine of Rs. 50,000 imposed or both
  • Unauthorized copying of anyone’s data can put you behind bars for six months or a fine of Rs. 100,000 imposed or both
  • Damaging data of anyone’s phone, laptop etc. can put you behind bars for two years or a fine of up to Rs. 500,000 or both
  • Unauthorized access to critical data (such as govt website) can land you in jail for up to three years or a fine of up to Rs. 1 Million or both
  • Unauthorized copying of critical data can put you behind bars for up to five years or with a fine of Rs. 5 million rupees or both
  • Damaging Critical Data can land you in jail for seven years or with a fine of up to Rs. 10 million or both
  • Glorification of an offense and hate speech (religious or ethnic) can get you jail sentence for up to five years or fine up to Rs. 10 million or both
  • Cyber Terrorism: Whoever commits or threatens to commit any of the offenses such as damaging critical data, spreading hate speech can get you 14 years in jail or up to Rs. 50 million in fine or both
  • Electronic Forgery can get you a jail sentence of three years or a fine up to Rs. 250,000 or both
  • Electronic Fraud can be sentenced with a jail for a term of two years or a fine of up to Rs. 10 million or both
  • Making, obtaining, or supplying device for use in offense can get you jail term for up to six months or a fine of Rs. 50,000 or both
  • Unauthorized use of someone’s identity can land you in jail for three years and a fine of up to Rs. five million or both
  • Unauthorized Issuance of SIM cards can get you in jail for a term of three years or a fine of Rs. 500,000 or both
  • Tampering etc. of communication can get you jail term of three years or a fine of Rs. 1 million or both
  • Unauthorized Interception can land you in jail for a term of two years or with fine up to five hundred thousand rupees or with both.
  • Offenses against dignity of a person: Spreading false information of anyone can get you jail for three years or a fine of Rs. one million or both
  • Displaying or showing a sexually explicit image/video of anyone can land you in jail for seven years or a fine of up to Rs. five million or both
  • Writing or spreading a malicious code can get you in jail for two years or a fine of Rs. one million or both
  • Online harassment, vulgar, indecent communication can get you one year in prison for one year or a fine of Rs. 1 million or both
  • Spamming can get you with a fine not exceeding fifty thousand rupees for the first time. Every subsequent violation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine up to one million rupees or with both.
  • Spoofing can get you behind the bars for three years or a fine of Rs. 500,000 or both

You can download the copy of approved bill that was passed by National Assembly yesterday by clicking this link (PDF File – 780 KB)

For explanation on above crimes read: See What Cyber Crime Law Can Do to You

Also Read: Only 30 out of 342 NA Members Were Present for Vote on Cyber Crime Bill

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • “What happens when monkeys get elected into NA”

    We elected these sh!tb@gs into Assembly. Sher bano sher.

  • Making, obtaining, or supplying device for use in offense. Means all mobile phone operators can be put behind bars cause they make cell phones lol

    • lol.., I wonder bIG mobile phone makers sold by authorized dealers might get the whole company behind bars.. :P

      • It means no one can talk about pakistani politicians anymore? because they’ve got the most dignity in the world. right?

      • Rule number 1 of the internet: if you can’t take a joke, stop using the internet. There are thousands, even millions, of memes about Obama, Putin and a ton of other world leaders who never even take notice of them. You think they can’t strong arm some websites to take those jokes down? They don’t do that because it comes under free speech and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Also if they started doing that they’d give legitimacy to the materials in those jokes and make a laughing stock of themselves, just like our idiotic politicians.

  • Indecent communication? Well, there you go, atleast 15% of Pakistan’s facebook users (conservative estimate) are sentenced to jail just like that :P

  • Amir Sb, Can you please look into this design issue. Facing this since yesterday.

  • How to report some one for spamming on our mobiles with their telemarketing messages ? Can someone guide ?

  • Most of these rules are already in place but none are actively implemented. As most of these rules are not elaborated (for example who defines what is offensive and what is hate speech), chances of exploitation and false accusations are very high.

    Also, why limit these rules to the internet? What about the main stream media (both digital and print) where so called analysts, anchors and journalists can write and say whatever they want – most of the time becoming judge, jury and execution all by themselves.

    Seems like Pakistan is following China and Turkey as far as digital rights and freedom of expression goes.

  • Yaar aaj in parliamentarians ki qabliat dekh li, phr bhi inhe hi vote karte ho. Sher ko support kar rahe ho, theek he, lekin andhay to nahi ho. Panama Papers and then this? What more do you need? I am just amazed at how you are convincing yourself that these are the right people to vote for

    • What about Pajama Leaks. Agar kuch kiya bhi hai to kiya hua. Just tax nhi diya. They are business men. They can buy as they can

      • Dude this is not to hide tax, this is to hide properties and corruption money so nobody suspects them. And then you say “Agar kuch kiya bhi hai to kiya hua?” Hamara mulk barbaad hua, ye hua!

        • Mulk abad kis ne kiya hai hamara aaj tak? Army and Politicians mein se kisi bande ka bhi name ly dain

          • in loteron aur family politicians ko to hatao pehle. In ke khandaan ki jageer nahi Pakistan. Ye dictators jitne he burre hain agar ziada nahi

  • This law will only be used for political victimization and that’s it. And the sad part is the electronic and print media is also in on the creation of this preposterous bill

  • these laws are totally illogical..Marketing is banned on facebook than way facebook puts ads or sponsor post….

    mark be ready to face 50,000 fine hahahah

  • This is kinda awesome, it gonna help us to go further in business “Expantion” without being interrupted by an criminal.

      • Dear Aamir. How many counts are you going to face due to this bill :D At least 150 years of jail time due to your fabulous pro-pakistani and anti-government articles LOL. But still, have got to say this here, agay barho Aamir bhai, hum aapke saath hain! xD

  • or jo offshore companies banain, tax chori karin, corruption krin un ke lye koi law nahi? Fake votes, fake degrees, fake commitments, fake projects, in sab k lye law kyon nahi banta? agr banta hai tu amal kyon nhi kia jata? Pakistan main rules and regulations, law, punishments sab kuch awam k lye hai…

  • @aamir7:disqus are you sure that the passed bill of PEC is same as you posted PDF file link in your post?

    • This is last available copy, that was approved by committee. We also heard that national assembly didn’t alter anything.

      National Assembly is yet to upload the copy of passed bill, unlike many other bills that were passed the same day.

  • Ok Fine, But How to Report Crime ? ya is k lie b apka kisi Janne wale ko FIA wagera me hona chaie ?

  • “..And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers.”5:44

  • Dair Aye Darust Aye. Wel Done PML-N for passing such a great bill. Privacy Matters a lot. Just do some amendments to control media. Because media is also spreading hate speech against people as well as government. Banned such channels. Kisi ko koi zarurat nhi hai kisis ki privacy mein mudakhlat krne ki. Media bhi har kisi ki privacy mein mudakhlat krta hai. Jaise k media Pajama Leaks mein kr raha hai. Har kisi ki privacy expose kr raha hai. Media k liye bhi yeah rules hone cxhahiye. bale is se bhi sakt.

  • Please send Warid, Telenor, Ufone, Especially Zong & Mobilink CEOs to JAIL for calling me on odd times and spamming me with several texts during the day for their stupid ugly promotions. I’m getting messages from 0231, 0300 and several other such number and countless text messages during the day. I work at night and sleep during the day and wake up at least ince a day due to their calls. (Sometimes even 3 times a day)

  • Using ‘sher’ word with any offensive word is a heinous crime now.
    People can’t use that word.

  • @aamir7:disqus
    AoA, I have a question about inquiry processing by FIA Cyber Crime Cell for facebook abuse. Do you have any idea, how much time it should take to process facebook abuse inquiry by FIA cyber crime cell?

  • Is there any issue regarding SMS Marketing?
    While recipient want to recieve my SMS

  • I don’t see any issue in the bill. There is negative hype for no reason. Learn to take it positively and you will see I am right. This is something suppose to happen long time ago. The definition of freedom of expression is altered so much that there is no difference in current theory of freedom of expression and the hate and bigvity speech.


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