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Malik Shahzad Aslam :
In a significant move to address a deepening institutional crisis, the Ministry of Interior has officially sanctioned the resignations of four high-ranking officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The decision, which took effect retroactively from November 20, comes as the agency reels from explosive allegations of systemic bribery, extortion, and the blatant misuse of professional authority.
The departing officers—identified as Deputy Director Sarfraz Chaudhry and Assistant Directors Muhammad Usman, Shoaib Riaz, and Asma Majeed—stepped down as federal investigators intensified their probe into a series of high-stakes corruption cases. This “purging” of the agency’s leadership follows mounting public and legal pressure, suggesting that the very individuals tasked with policing the digital landscape were instead operating a predatory network.
The scandal first broke into the spotlight following a formal complaint by Aroob Jatoi, the wife of prominent YouTuber Saad Ur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai. According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the accused officers allegedly demanded and received approximately Rs 9 million from Rehman’s family. In exchange for this illicit payment, the officials reportedly promised “legal relief” and favorable treatment in an active cybercrime investigation involving the content creator.
However, the scope of the misconduct appears to extend far beyond individual influencers. New evidence has surfaced linking the officers to a massive extortion racket targeting Pakistan’s unregulated online trading sector. Investigators are currently looking into claims of a Rs 2 crore bribe involving the trading platform Quotex and individual trader Abu Huraira. These revelations have cast a harsh light on the NCCIA’s struggle to monitor the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy, with industry experts pointing to weak oversight as the primary catalyst for such abuses of power.
As of today, the four officers remain in FIA custody and are scheduled to be presented before the Lahore District Court for further legal proceedings. While the resignations mark a significant shift in the agency’s hierarchy, the Ministry of Interior has signaled that the investigation is far from over. Officials expect further developments as the FIA widens its net to determine if more personnel were involved in what appears to be one of the most significant corruption scandals to hit Pakistan’s cyber-policing sector in recent years.
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