ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Thursday condemned cyberattacks by Indian spy networks.

The chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, Senator Rehman Malik, said: “India is involved in cybercrimes worldwide and stealing sensitive national data of various countries for different nefarious activities. Indian hackers steal data of different countries and sell it to rival countries and the data of individuals for blackmailing.”

The Senate committee condemned imposition of a curfew in India-held Kashmir and its members urged the government to take rigorous actions to counter propaganda and illegal moves of the Indian government and drag Prime Minister Narednra Modi in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

On the 373rd day of curfew in occupied Kashmir, the committee marked these days as ‘dark days’ in the history of mankind and expressed solidarity with Kashmiris struggling for their legitimate right of self-determination under UNSC Resolutions.

Committee members urge government to take rigorous actions to counter illegal Indian moves

Mr Malik informed the committee members that he had raised this matter in committee meetings back in 2018, and had directed the Ministry of Interior to take extraordinary measures to block such attacks.

He appreciated the Pakistan intelligence agencies for identifying this major cyberattack by Indian intelligence agencies involving a range of cybercrimes.

The issue of placing Pakistan in the FATF’s grey list was also discussed in the committee. Mr Malik said the FATF was playing a discriminatory role and victimising Pakistan while favouring India.

He informed the members that he had written a letter to the FATF president, asking him to remove Pakistan’s name from its grey list and proceed against PM Modi for his role in money laundering and terror financing.

The Senate committee also considered a point of public importance, “rights of special people” that was raised by Senator Dr Shahzad Wasim in the House in January, 2020.

Mr Malik while appreciating the mover said that the existing procedure for issuance of CNIC for disabled persons should be reviewed on a merit basis. He argued the government should prepare comprehensive SOPs for issuance of CNIC with a special logo of disability.

The committee members pointed out that encroachment and illegal construction in sector E-11, Islamabad, was the glaring example of incompetence and corruption in the CDA.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2020