The Punjab government has taken a series of concrete steps to address the growing menace of online harassment and digital blackmail in the province, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approving the establishment of a dedicated cybercrime unit and directing relevant authorities to begin work on the preliminary draft of the Punjab Online Safety Act 2026. The decisions emerged from a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, where officials briefed participants on the scale of cyber offences being reported across Punjab and outlined a proposed institutional framework to strengthen both victim support and law enforcement response in this space.
Under the new initiative, victims will no longer need to visit police stations or government offices to file complaints, with specially designated mobile units to be deployed to reach affected individuals directly, ensuring easier access to justice and greater protection particularly for women and children. The plan also includes the establishment of a virtual police station system, allowing complainants to register cases online, alongside front desk services and a dedicated mobile application through which reports can be submitted. Authorities gave assurances that complete confidentiality of victims’ identities would be maintained throughout the complaint and investigation process, a safeguard considered especially significant given the sensitivity of the offences involved and the social stigma that has historically deterred many victims from coming forward. The government additionally approved the creation of a Cyber Patrol Wing and a Cyber Police Academy to strengthen enforcement capacity and institutional knowledge within Punjab Police.
Work has commenced on the initial draft of the Punjab Online Safety Act 2026, which will soon be presented for approval, with the legislation aimed at introducing strict penalties for perpetrators of social media harassment and blackmail. An advanced intelligence system for social media surveillance is also part of the broader plan, signalling that the government intends to move beyond reactive complaint handling towards proactive monitoring of digital platforms where such offences frequently originate. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stated that cybercrime poses a serious challenge to society and that protecting the younger generation remained a top priority for the provincial administration, adding that modern technology and tools would be fully deployed to shield girls from online blackmail. She also urged parents to take an active role in monitoring their children’s social media activity. The combination of legislative action, institutional capacity building, and victim-centred complaint mechanisms represents one of the more comprehensive provincial-level responses to online safety that Pakistan has seen to date, and it will be closely watched to see how effectively the framework translates into implementation on the ground.
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