How to File a Cybercrime Complaint in Pakistan: NCCIA Procedure, Evidence and PECA Offences (2026 Guide)

By Justify.pk Editorial Team | Reviewed by Zeshan Haider Advocate

A fake profile using your photos. A message threatening to leak private pictures unless you pay. A “bank officer” who empties your account after asking for an OTP. Every day, people across Pakistan face cybercrime (سائبر کرائم) and then lose more time because they do not know where to complain, what to attach, or what happens next.

Since January 2025 the answer has changed. The FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing no longer exists, and complaints under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) now go to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). This guide explains, step by step, how to file a cybercrime complaint (شکایت) in Pakistan, how to preserve evidence so that the complaint survives, which PECA section fits your case, and what to expect from inquiry to trial. For background on the 2025 amendments themselves, see our explainer on PECA 2025 and the new rules on fake news.

Key Points at a Glance

• Only the NCCIA can investigate PECA offences (Section 30, as substituted in 2025). A local police station is the wrong forum for a PECA case.
• You can complain through the NCCIA’s online complaint portal, its 1799 helpline, by dialling Police Helpline 15 (now routed to NCCIA zones), or with a written application at the nearest NCCIA office.
• Evidence decides the case. Keep the device, the original chats, profile links (URLs) and account IDs, not just screenshots.
• Most PECA offences are non-cognizable, bailable and compoundable; serious offences such as Section 21 (modesty) and the child-abuse offences are treated far more strictly.
• Removing content and punishing the offender are two separate tracks: report to the platform and the regulator for takedown, and to the NCCIA for criminal action.
• Filing a complaint with the NCCIA costs nothing.

Who Handles Cybercrime in Pakistan Now?

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 was published in the Gazette on 29 January 2025. It substituted Section 29 of PECA to create the NCCIA, headed by a Director General, for the inquiry, investigation and prosecution of PECA offences. Section 29(4) says that once the NCCIA is set up, the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing ceases to exist and all its staff, cases and inquiries transfer to the new agency. The government converted the wing into the NCCIA in April 2025.

The new Section 30 states that only an authorised officer of the investigation agency may investigate a PECA offence, although the government may form joint investigation teams with other agencies. NCCIA officers are treated as police officers of equivalent rank and follow the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 unless PECA says otherwise (Section 29(3) and (5)). Where online conduct leads to an ordinary crime, such as an abduction arranged through social media, the provincial police deal with the physical offence while the NCCIA deals with the PECA offence.

Which PECA Offence Fits Your Case?

Naming the right section helps the NCCIA route your complaint. The most common offences, with the maximum punishments stated in the Act, are:

Offences against children carry much heavier punishments. After the 2023 amendments, Sections 22 to 22C (child sexual abuse material, online grooming, sexual exploitation and trafficking contact) carry minimum sentences, and Section 24A punishes cyberbullying of children. Trials of offences against minors are held in camera (Section 30C).

A note on Section 20 and defamation. On 8 April 2022 the Islamabad High Court struck down the words “or harms the reputation” in Section 20, together with their punishment, and quashed the 2022 PECA ordinance. Reputation-only claims are therefore usually better pursued through the Defamation Ordinance, 2002 or a civil suit. Our guide on online defamation under PECA covers this in detail.

Before You File: Preserve the Evidence (ثبوت)

Most cybercrime complaints fail not because the crime did not happen, but because the proof disappears. Do this first, ideally within hours:

1. Do not delete anything. Keep the chats, emails, voice notes and call logs on the original phone or computer. The NCCIA may need the device itself for forensic examination.
2. Record the identifiers. Copy the full profile link (URL), username, account ID, phone numbers, email addresses and the links to each post. Section 38 of PECA requires a claim against a platform to identify the content by unique identifiers such as the account ID, URL or IP address, so a screenshot alone is weak.
3. Take dated screenshots showing the profile name, the message and the date and time. Screen-record scrolling through the conversation if it is long.
4. Keep financial records. For fraud, save the transaction ID, the receiving account or wallet number, the amount and the bank SMS. Call your bank’s helpline at once to block the card or account.
5. Write a short timeline of what happened, when, and who you think is behind it.
6. Do not pay a blackmailer and do not negotiate. Payment rarely ends the demands. Stop replying, but do not block the account until you have recorded its link and ID.

Step-by-Step: How to File a Cybercrime Complaint with the NCCIA

Step 1: Choose your channel

• Online complaint portal: the NCCIA’s official online complaint system is the main intake channel. Register with your CNIC and mobile number, choose the category (fraud, harassment, blackmail, hacking, fake profile) and upload your evidence. Keep the complaint number it gives you.
• Helpline 1799: the NCCIA helpline was launched in June 2025 for lodging cybercrime complaints by phone.
• Police Helpline 15: since October 2026, cybercrime complaints made on 15 in the provinces and major cities are forwarded automatically to the relevant NCCIA zone.
• In person: submit a signed written application at the nearest NCCIA circle or reporting centre with copies of your CNIC and evidence. Ask for a receipt or diary number.

Step 2: Write a complete complaint

Your complaint should state your name, CNIC, address and phone number; what happened, in date order; the identifiers of the suspect accounts, numbers or websites; the PECA section you believe applies; and the relief you seek (criminal action and removal of content). Under PECA a “complainant” includes the victim or anyone with substantial reasons to believe an offence has been committed, so a parent or guardian can complain for a minor.

Step 3: Verification and inquiry

PECA defines an “inquiry” as one conducted by the investigation agency on a written complaint. An officer will usually call you to record your statement and may ask you to bring the original device. The agency can issue notices to preserve data for up to 90 days (Section 31) and can approach the court for warrants to obtain content data from service providers (Sections 33 and 34).

Step 4: Registration of the case (FIR)

If the inquiry shows an offence, the NCCIA registers a case. Under Section 43, most PECA offences are non-cognizable, bailable and compoundable, so the agency proceeds under the Code of Criminal Procedure with the court’s involvement. The exceptions include cyber terrorism (Section 10), offences against modesty (Section 21) and child pornography (Section 22), which are cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.

Step 5: Forensics, arrest and remand

The NCCIA has its own forensic capacity, and its forensic reports are not inadmissible merely because the agency produced them (Section 29(6)). An arrested accused must be produced before the court within 24 hours; physical remand cannot exceed 14 days at a time or 30 days in total (Section 30A).

Step 6: Challan, trial and compensation

After investigation, the report (challan) is submitted to the court designated to try PECA offences. The victim and witnesses may seek protection under Section 30B, and on conviction the court may order compensation to the victim (Section 45).

Getting the Content Removed

Criminal action can take months. If intimate images or a fake profile are circulating, ask for removal at the same time:

• Report to the platform using its own reporting tools. The 2025 amendment requires social media platforms to keep an effective and transparent complaint procedure (Section 2S).
• Apply to the regulator. Sections 20(2), 21(3) and 24(3) allow the victim, or the guardian of a minor, to apply to the Authority for removal or blocking. Under Section 2C, a person aggrieved by fake information may apply for removal, and the Authority must pass orders within 24 hours. These functions are assigned to the new Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority; the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s complaint portal (complaint.pta.gov.pk) remains a practical channel for blocking requests.

For a closer look at harassment and sextortion cases, read our guide on cyber harassment and blackmail remedies under PECA. If you lost money, our guide on recovering money after online fraud and banking scams explains the bank and Banking Mohtasib route alongside the NCCIA complaint.

If You Receive an NCCIA Notice

A notice to appear for an inquiry is not an FIR and not an arrest. Do not ignore it, but do not appear without legal advice. Ask for the complaint details, take a lawyer with you, and do not hand over your phone or passwords without a lawful order. Because most PECA offences are bailable, bail is usually available; where a non-bailable section is invoked, an advocate can assess whether to seek pre-arrest bail (ضمانت قبل از گرفتاری) before the competent court.

Common Mistakes That Weaken a Complaint

• Filing at a police station under PECA instead of approaching the NCCIA.
• Deleting the chats or blocking the account before recording its link and ID.
• Submitting only cropped screenshots with no dates or URLs.
• Waiting weeks before reporting, by which time platforms may no longer hold the data.
• Paying the blackmailer or “recovery agents” who promise to get your money back.
• Naming the wrong section, such as using Section 20 for a pure reputation claim.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cybercrime Complaints

Important Sources

• The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, with amendments up to Act II of 2025, Sindh Judicial Academy compilation.
• NCCIA directs fully digital complaint tracking, Associated Press of Pakistan, October 2026.
• Pakistan launches cybercrime helpline 1799, Arab News, June 2025.

Conclusion

A cybercrime complaint in Pakistan now has one destination: the NCCIA. Preserve the evidence first, record every link and account ID, choose the correct PECA section, and file through the portal, 1799, Helpline 15 or the nearest NCCIA office. At the same time, ask the platform and the regulator to remove harmful content. Keep your complaint number and follow up in writing.

If you are a victim, or you have received an NCCIA notice, speak to a qualified advocate before you take the next step. Justify.pk’s Cyber Crime Law practice area connects you with verified advocates, and you can request a free legal consultation in confidence.

Legal Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information only and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified advocate.

Written for Justify.pk. For personalised guidance, get a free consultation at https://justify.pk/free-consultation or WhatsApp 0300-0779014.