FIA constitutes team to deal with child pornography

Islamabad – Amidst reports of widespread business of child pornography in the country, the Federal Investigation Agency constituted a two-member team to deal with the emerging cyber crime.

The team will pursue cases pertaining to child sexual abuse and child pornography. The decision came in the aftermath of Zainab rape and murder case in Kasur.

The team comprising Imran Haider, senior investigator National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes, FIA and Salman Khan, senior investigator at the same centre, would work under direct supervision of director of the centre.

According to an office order issued on January 26, all zonal in-charges of the National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes would furnish complete brief of all cases registered on the ground of child sexual abuse and child pornographic material to the team .

The authorities have accelerated efforts to curb cases such as Zainab and Asma rape and murder cases as on Sunday, the FIA while acting on a tip-off by Interpol Canada, arrested an alleged member of a group that shared child pornography videos from Saddar area of Jhang city.

According to the reports, 60 gigabytes data was found on laptop and computer of the accused, who is an electrical engineer by profession.

Following the reported incidents, the FIA decided to take notice of child pornography in Pakistan and also formed a two-member team from its cyber crime wing to tackle the menace.

Pakistan’s laws did not had provision for punishing criminals involved in child pornography till the infamous 2015 Kasur child sexual abuse case, after which a law was passed that made the crime punishable. Child pornography offence in Pakistan now carries a prison sentence ranging from 14 to 20 years.

Source: The Nation