Ministry of Foreign Affairs website hacked, inaccesible in several countries

E-Paper | March 14, 2026

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website hacked, inaccesible in several countries

Naveed Siddiqui Published February 16, 2019

Visitors to the website from Holland, Australia, Britain, and Saudi Arabia are facing difficulty accessing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. — File

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website was attacked by hackers on Saturday, officials from the ministry said.

According to the spokesperson, Dr Mohammad Faisal, complaints were received by the ministry from various countries reporting that the website was inaccessible there.

"The IT team is currently occupied in thwarting the hackers' onslaught," he said.

The spokesperson added that the website is functioning without any issues in Pakistan. However, visitors to the website from Holland, Australia, Britain, and Saudi Arabia are facing difficulty opening it.

The attacks are believed to be of Indian origin, sources within the ministry told DawnNewsTV.

Cross-border hacking attacks have been sporadic yet common since at least 1998.

A team of Indian hackers had defaced the official website of PPP in June 2017. That same year, in December, the official website of Karachi police was hacked and defaced, allegedly by Indian hackers.

Hackers claiming to be from Pakistan defaced websites of seven Indian embassies, high commissions, and consulates in various countries with pro-Pakistan Army slogans in July 2016.

Prior to that, in 2015, Pakistani hackers attacked the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur's website.

A year earlier, in 2014, the Lahore High Court's website was attacked and defaced by Indian hackers.

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ahmed

Feb 16, 2019 09:45pm

Get on to curb these cyber attacks before a VVIP visit. R U Sure the attackers are Indians? If yes, show the proof to Modi.

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Iran Baloch

Feb 16, 2019 10:16pm

Indian cyber terrorism

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Zak

Feb 16, 2019 10:27pm

How do you know the hackers are of Indian origin and not Iranians or Mossad ?. Any proofs, evidence ?.

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C T Rao

Feb 17, 2019 12:32am

@Iran Baloch, show the proof

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Feb 17, 2019 12:32am

@ahmed, very well said. Get proof first (just like how Pakistan record keeps blowing all the time). Get solid proof first..

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Another Sane Pakistani

Feb 17, 2019 12:32am

Indians are frustrated and desparate face saving attempts. A lot of Indians are intelligent people and dont fall in to misinformation and incitement by current government against Pakistan just because there was an attack in Occupied territory. Indians must realize that what did English occupier get when they occupied India They were always under threat and finally had to leave. Even without occupation countries get the terrorists attacks like Pakistan and other countries. Pakistan has the right government this time and about time India has one too. They missed the chance at Musharraf and Vajpayee meeting.

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Feb 17, 2019 12:33am

@Zak, awesome. Well said brother!

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Feb 17, 2019 12:50am

Hacking masters are mostly from China

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Bongo

Feb 17, 2019 01:06am

People just need to grow up.

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Moni

Feb 17, 2019 01:19am

Bro, the question rise in my mind, if Ministry of foreign affairs website could be hacked, how strong is our security system. Hacker can hack any website any information.

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SyedChaudhryGangaDinKhan

Feb 17, 2019 02:02am

Chinese?

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talha

Feb 17, 2019 02:17am

This is what happens, when you invest too much for defense and peanuts in technology. We should be aware of the day when some one will hack our nuclear assets and change the coordinates to G-6.

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Changez Khan

Feb 17, 2019 02:43am

The terrorisms have several forms and this is one of them.

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hussain

Feb 17, 2019 03:16am

this shows a lack of security unconsciousness on the part of those who have the responsibility of providing cyber security, somebody is not doing their job, with most systems whether civilian or military rely upon computer software, a hacker could disable critical systems in a time of heightened tensions among an enemy state, it seems in Pakistan people have a habit of passing the buck.

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Imtiaz Ali Khan

Feb 17, 2019 03:26am

Hackers in both Pakistan and India are good. Lets get together brothers we are taking difficult part to make others rich, reject any politicians who cause hate in both nations for each other.

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NothingNew

Feb 17, 2019 04:20am

Cheap ways as usual

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P K Thakur

Feb 17, 2019 05:41am

This types of hackers are generally lone wolf.

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FAROOQ

Feb 17, 2019 06:21am

@Zak, circumstantial evidence point all fingers to India.

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Gordon D. Walker

Feb 17, 2019 08:01am

Could be a mean spirited inside job... Gordon D. Walker Canada

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