A COUPLE of months ago, I had filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Sukkur against several fake Facebook accounts that were often being used for malicious purposes.

When the application reached the relevant operator, his attitude suddenly changed. He took me to a vacant office room, and demanded a bribe of Rs1,000, saying that this would help ‘speed up’ my case. Despite this unethical demand and the passage of two months, there has been no progress or follow-up on my complaint.

This experience reflects two major issues: the lack of technical advancement in the FIA’s cyber investigation system, and the growing culture of corruption within its ranks. When the institution responsible for protecting citizens from online crime itself becomes inefficient and compromised, it raises serious concerns about accountability and justice.

The higher authorities must modernise the FIA Cyber Crime Wing in accordance with the latest technological standards. Furthermore, employees’ salaries should be increased to reduce their dependence on bribes. Only then can the FIA truly fulfil its purpose of protecting citizens from digital threats with integrity and efficiency.

Kazim Ameer Bukhari
Ghotki

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026