Punjab Approves Cyber Crime Unit to Combat Online Harassment of Women and Children
Lahore: The Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has approved the establishment of a dedicated Cyber Crime Unit to curb online harassment and blackmail targeting women and children.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister, where several key measures were introduced to strengthen digital safety across the province.
Under the new initiative, victims—especially women and minors—will no longer need to visit police stations to file complaints. Instead, they will be able to report incidents through a Virtual Police Station, ensuring ease of access and confidentiality. Authorities also plan to launch a mobile unit to facilitate complaint registration for affected individuals.
Officials stated that the identities of victims will be kept strictly confidential. Complaints can also be lodged through the Cyber Crime Unit’s front desk and the “PKM” mobile application.
To further strengthen legal action, the government has decided to introduce new legislation, with work already underway on the draft of the Punjab Online Safety Act 2026, which will soon be presented.
Additionally, the Punjab Police will establish a Cyber Patrol Wing and a Cyber Police Academy, while an advanced intelligence system will be introduced for social media monitoring and surveillance.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized adopting a proactive approach to tackle cybercrime, calling it a major challenge in the digital age. She stressed the importance of using modern tools and technology to protect young girls from blackmail and urged parents to monitor and limit their children’s use of social media.
The chief minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating digital crimes against women and children, stating that strict action will be taken against offenders to set a strong example and safeguard citizens’ privacy.
