Archives for October 2025

October 30, 2025 - Comments Off on Missing NCCIA Official Found in FIA Custody

Missing NCCIA Official Found in FIA Custody

Muhammad Usman, the missing Deputy Director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), was found to be in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Usman was reportedly abducted from Islamabad earlier this month. A Lahore Judicial Magistrate short order confirmed he was remanded to three days of physical custody with the FIA. The NCCIA official was nominated in an FIR filed by the wife of YouTuber Ducky Bhai on charges of colluding with other NCCIA officials, misusing authority, and extorting bribes. The FIR alleges that Usman and others transferred millions of rupees to higher-ups.

October 30, 2025 - Comments Off on Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha Indicted in Social Media Case

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha Indicted in Social Media Case

An Islamabad district and sessions court indicted human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case related to controversial social media posts. The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had registered the case under the PECA Act, accusing the couple of attempting to incite linguistic divisions and creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism. Both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court summoned all prosecution witnesses for the next hearing on November 5. Chattha, who was briefly arrested the previous day for non-appearance, was present and later released.

October 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Over a Million Users Weekly Show Suicidal Intent on ChatGPT

Over a Million Users Weekly Show Suicidal Intent on ChatGPT

OpenAI reported that over one million ChatGPT users each week send messages containing "explicit indicators of potential suicidal planning or intent." This represents approximately 1.2 million users out of the 800 million active weekly users. The company also estimates that slightly fewer than 600,000 users show signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania. Following a public lawsuit, OpenAI has since increased parental controls, expanded access to crisis hotlines, and updated its chatbot to better recognize and respond to users experiencing mental health crises. The company has enlisted over 170 mental health professionals to assist in its research.

October 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Industrialists Criticize Telecoms Over Poor Internet Services

Industrialists Criticize Telecoms Over Poor Internet Services

The SITE Association of Industries (SAI) strongly criticized Pakistan's telecom operators and internet service providers for persistent network disruptions, calling their performance substandard and damaging to business operations. Industrialists from Karachi's largest industrial zone reported that frequent internet outages and weak mobile signals severely affect both domestic and international communications. SAI President Ahmed Azeem Alvi warned that the inability to maintain communication with foreign buyers is affecting export orders and trade commitments, causing significant financial losses. Alvi appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and direct telecom companies to enhance their infrastructure and service quality.

October 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Imaan Mazari’s Husband Hadi Ali Chattha Arrested at Islamabad Court

Imaan Mazari’s Husband Hadi Ali Chattha Arrested at Islamabad Court

Hadi Ali Chattha, husband of lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, was arrested outside a courtroom in Islamabad in a case related to controversial social media posts. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued an arrest warrant after Chattha was recorded as having "intentionally not appeared," despite his wife claiming he was present in court. Chattha was arrested under a non-bailable warrant, which his wife termed "completely illegal." The case was registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the PECA Act, accusing the couple of attempting to incite linguistic divisions and portraying armed forces as ineffective.

October 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Alert Issued for Gmail Users After Infostealer Leak

Alert Issued for Gmail Users After Infostealer Leak

A massive database containing 183 million email addresses and passwords has been added to the "Have I been pwned" (HIBP) breach-tracking service. The data, which includes confirmed login credentials for Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, originated from "infostealer" malware infections over the past years. This leakage provides a direct link for cybercriminals to conduct malicious attacks. While Google clarified that the report does not stem from a direct breach of its defenses, the company recommends that users immediately enable two-factor authentication, use strong, unique passwords, and check the HIBP website to see if their credentials were leaked.

October 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Musk Launches Grokipedia to Rival Wikipedia

Musk Launches Grokipedia to Rival Wikipedia

Elon Musk's company xAI launched a new online encyclopedia called Grokipedia to compete with Wikipedia, which Musk has repeatedly accused of having an ideological bias. The content on Grokipedia is primarily generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the generative AI assistant Grok. Musk stated that the goal of the platform is "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." The site, launched as version 0.1, had over 885,000 articles on its first day. Musk previously delayed the launch to "purge out the propaganda." The encyclopedia aims to provide an alternative source of information to the volunteer-managed Wikipedia.

October 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistan Airports to Introduce Cashless Services

Pakistan Airports to Introduce Cashless Services

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) is introducing a cashless model at airports nationwide as part of Islamabad's digitization push to transform the economy. Under this new policy, businesses and institutions at airports must adopt digital service providers approved by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) or face fines. The move aims to facilitate convenience, transparent transactions, and promote a modern financial system for passengers. The government has identified digitization as a key tool to improve governance, reduce corruption, and expand the narrow tax base in Pakistan, which is a cash-dominated market. The new system encourages passengers to adopt digital payment methods.

October 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Sindh Launches AI-Based Traffic E-Ticketing System

Sindh Launches AI-Based Traffic E-Ticketing System

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), an AI-based e-ticketing system, at the Central Police Office. This system replaces manual ticketing with an automated mechanism, using advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as speeding and red-light jumping. The CM stated that TRACS, a major step in the province’s digital transformation, removes human discretion to ensure fairness and accountability. TRACS Sahulat Centres have been set up for citizens to pay fines, clarify violations, and contest challans. The system integrates with databases like NADRA and enables online fine payment via a mobile app.

October 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Federal Government Replaces NCCIA Director General

Federal Government Replaces NCCIA Director General

The federal government has replaced the Director General (DG) of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) amid an ongoing corruption scandal involving its employees. Syed Khurram Ali, a BS-21 police officer, was appointed as the new NCCIA DG, replacing Waqaruddin Syed. This replacement follows recent actions by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which arrested and obtained a three-day physical remand for six NCCIA officials. These officials, including an Additional Director, were booked for allegedly misusing authority, extortion, and bribery in a case filed by the wife of YouTuber Ducky Bhai. The NCCIA operates under the Interior Division to combat cybercrime under the PECA Act.