KARACHI: As the provincial government contemplates setting up a special unit to deal with cybercrime cases, the Sindh police held a meeting to discuss proposals for the establishment of the Cyber Security and Crime Investigation Department (CSCID) to address the growing challenge of online crime.

A Counter-Terrorism Department SSP briefed the participants of the meeting about the purpose, scope and structure of the proposed institution.

Chairing a meeting at the Central Police Office, Inspector General of Police Javed Odho observed that crimes such as extortion, sale of narcotics, financial fraud and other organised offences are increasingly being committed online, making it imperative to establish a modern cybercrime unit to effectively bring those involved to justice.

The IG directed that proposals should include the registration of cybercrime cases at the police station level to provide immediate assistance to citizens.

He said the proposals should also include hiring experts and professionals from different sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, cybersecurity and digital forensics.

According to a police statement, it has become imperative to establish such units and departments in view of the growing trends of online religious and sectarian incitement, white-collar crime, digital and financial fraud, harassment and other cyber offences.

The meeting was informed that complaints related to cybercrime were continuously increasing in the country, while citizens were facing difficulties in obtaining redress due to limited investigation capacity.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026