ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is “a prime target” for cyberattacks, the country’s top telecom regulator warned on Thursday, telling the nation that criminals are striking “around the clock” — and that ordinary citizens are the ones paying the price.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General Hafeez ur Rehman made the stark assessment at the closing ceremony of the PTA’s Cyber Security Awareness Week 2026 in Islamabad on 29 October. The campaign was organised by the PTA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under the theme “Building a Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy…”
Thousands of fake videos are circulating across the country, the PTA chairman said, while citizens routinely receive fraudulent calls and fake One-Time Password (OTP) messages. Even the authorities receive fake threats, he added — and the telecom sector, he admitted, remains vulnerable despite the regulator’s ongoing efforts to secure it.
Pakistan a ‘Prime Target’ for Cyberattacks, PTA Chairman Warns
The awareness campaign brought together regulators, policymakers and technology experts to confront a threat that is growing more sophisticated by the day. Cyberattacks in Pakistan, the PTA chairman warned, are no longer occasional incidents — they are a constant, daily reality for millions of mobile phone users.
His remarks reflect a sobering shift in how the country’s digital safety is understood. Where cybercrime was once treated as a problem for IT departments, the PTA chairman framed it as a national challenge — one that demands public awareness and sound policy in equal measure. Technology alone, he argued, cannot protect people who do not know how to spot a scam.
Fake OTP Messages and Fraudulent Calls Flood Citizens’ Phones
The warning will feel painfully familiar to anyone with a mobile phone in Pakistan. Fraudsters posing as bank officials, courier companies or even government departments call and message citizens daily, asking them to share OTP codes — the one-time passwords that should never be handed to anyone.
Once a victim shares the code, criminals can drain bank accounts, hijack WhatsApp accounts or register SIM cards in someone else’s name. The PTA chairman urged the public not to share unverified messages — and to pause before forwarding anything whose source they cannot confirm.
The fraud economy is already organised and under active investigation. Earlier this month, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) smashed a fake loan app network operating out of Shangla, arresting two suspects and seizing more than 30 devices in a single raid — a sign of how far criminal networks have embedded themselves in the country’s digital life.
FBR, NADRA and PEMRA Step Up Defences
The chairman said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is working to address the growing threat, while NADRA, PEMRA, the PTA and other organisations have strengthened their systems to prevent attacks.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, who also addressed the closing ceremony, called for a regulatory framework that keeps pace with rapidly evolving technology and social media — arguing that outdated rules leave both regulators and citizens exposed.
The ceremony’s message was widely covered: TechJuice reported the chairman’s account of what Pakistanis receive on their phones every day, while NewzTodays highlighted his push for early digital education. The emerging consensus in Islamabad is clear: cyber security awareness is no longer a niche concern — it is a national priority.
Digital Education Must Start Early, PTA Chairman Says
The PTA chairman closed with a message aimed at the next generation: digital education should begin early. Children and young people, he said, must learn to navigate social media safely and to identify fake news — because in an era when a single forwarded message can spark panic or empty a bank account, knowing what not to click is as important as any firewall.
For now, the message from the capital is simple: assume nothing, verify everything — and never share an OTP.
Also on UrduPro: PTA Dark Web Watch Logged 326 Cyber Threats in a Year, Flags 5G Security Risks
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