The Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs met under the chairmanship of Mr. Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, MNA, in Committee Room No 7, Parliament House, Islamabad, to review NCCIA’s expanded operational capacity and to tighten collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to curb illegal SIM use.

The session opened with prayers for those who perished in recent weather calamities, signaling a somber start to the proceedings.

Officials reported that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is expanding its investigative reach, and that the authority has strengthened coordination with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to curb the misuse of illegal SIMs.

Members raised concerns about financial crimes and fraudulent activities targeting the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), as well as security risks posed by cross-border radio transmissions. NCCIA representatives assured that safeguards are being reinforced to address these vulnerabilities.

A dedicated briefing on financial crimes, to be conducted in coordination with NCCIA and PTA, was scheduled for a subsequent meeting to deepen scrutiny and oversight.

The Committee also considered The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Ms. Shazia Marri and Syed Naveed Qamar, MNAs. After extensive discussion, the panel deferred its deliberations to allow for further debate.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Shaikh Aftab Ahmed, Raja Qamar-ul-Islam, Ms. Naveed Aamir, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Mr. Mujahid Ali, Mr. Ali Muhammad, Mr. Hameed Hussain, Khurram Shahzad Virk (Zoom), Ms. Shazia Fareed, and Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan. Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and other senior officers from the Ministry and ECP also participated.