Personal data of nearly 300,000 Hajj applicants leaked on dark web: PTA chief

• PTA conducted inquiry on data leak in 2022.
• Interior ministry launches formal investigation.
• 5G auction to be held in December: PTA chief.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman has revealed that personal data of approximately 300,000 individuals who applied for Hajj has surfaced on the dark web.

The PTA chief made these revelations during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, on Friday.

He added that there is a need for a comprehensive inquiry to identify the sources of these leaks. Rehman further said that the PTA had conducted an internal inquiry in 2022, while the Ministry of Interior has now initiated a formal investigation.

During the briefing, Senator Afnan Ullah Khan apprised the committee that data is stolen separately from various institutions, compiled, and subsequently sold, The News reported on Saturday.

The committee’s chairperson shared a personal experience of receiving a fraudulent call regarding a bank transaction and raised concerns about how fraudsters gain access to such sensitive information. 

The telecommunication authority’s chairman clarified that during the last two years, no telecom data has appeared on the dark web, but emphasised the urgency of establishing a national-level mechanism for data security.

The Senate committee expressed concern over the delay in introducing legislation to secure personal data. 

The Ministry of IT announced that a draft bill had been prepared and consultations with stakeholders were underway.

Senator Afnan Ullah cautioned that failure to enact data protection legislation would expose the country to serious consequences.

During the session, the committee also reviewed the delayed merger of Ufone and Telenor. Officials from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) informed that the merger deal was in its final stages and expected to be completed within two weeks. 

They said that the process had already taken 18 months due to delays in the submission of the requisite data. The PTA chief clarified that until the merger is finalised, the auction of spectrum for 5G services cannot be undertaken.

Senator Kamran Murtaza, however, questioned the feasibility of completing the matter within two weeks when it had already been delayed for eighteen months.

Officials from the Ministry of IT briefed the committee that the 5G auction would be held in December. Rehman also said that the authority was fully prepared for the auction, though certain outstanding issues still required resolution.