Islamabad orders probe into online data leak concerning thousands of Pakistanis
Islamabad orders probe into online data leak concerning thousands of Pakistanis/node/2614507/pakistan
Islamabad orders probe into online data leak concerning thousands of Pakistanis
Men sit at their computers waiting to load media files into mobile phones for customers in the Abpara market in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 20, 2017. (REUTERS/File)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a probe into a sensitive data leak concerning thousands of Pakistani nationals, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Sunday.
The statement came after a local broadcaster reported that thousands of Pakistanis, including federal ministers and senior officials, have reportedly been affected by a breach of personal data which was now available for sale online.
The leaked data includes addresses of mobile phone connection owners, call logs, copies of national identity cards and details of foreign travel. The records span a wide range of individuals, extending across government tiers.
Taking notice of the news reports, Naqvi tasked the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) with setting up an investigation team to look into the matter, according to the interior ministry.
“The investigation team will investigate the data leakage issue from every aspect,” the ministry said, adding the probe panel will submit its report within 14 days.
Dozens of sites were offering this sensitive data at low prices; mobile location data for Rs500, detailed mobile records for Rs2,000, and international travel details for Rs5,000, according to the Express News report.
“Legal action will be taken after identifying the elements involved in the data leakage,” the interior ministry said.
This is not the first time that sensitive information about Pakistani nationals has been leaked online, raising fears about misuse of sensitive information that may have far-reaching consequences for affected individuals.
In May this year, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) issued a warning that login credentials and passwords of more than 180 million Internet users in Pakistan had been stolen in a global data breach, urging people to take immediate protective measures, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.
“The breach exposed usernames, passwords, emails and associated URLs tied to services from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram [and] Snapchat, as well as government portals, banking institutions, and health care platforms worldwide,” the advisory read.
It said the leaked database was believed to have been compiled using infostealer malware that extracts sensitive information from compromised systems.
In March 2024, a joint investigation team (JIT), formed to probe a data leak from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), told the interior ministry that credentials of as many as 2.7 million Pakistani had been compromised between 2019 and 2023.
ISLAMABAD: In Pakistan’s federal capital, where public transport options remain limited, Aisha Umar waits at her doorstep with her handbag clutched tightly under her arm. Within minutes, a motorbike with pink and white hues glides to a stop in front of her. The rider — helmet strapped — is not a man but a woman.
For Umer, a 29-year-old working woman, this is more than just a commute. It is relief, safety and a sense of dignity on the road.
While there is a lack of consolidated data, women in Pakistan have long complained of harassment by captains of mainstream ride-hailing apps, with some documented incidents. The helpline of non-profit Digital Rights Foundation, for instance, received eight complaints related to Careem and inDrive in 2022, while police have occasionally registered complaints against drivers in major cities. But experts say most of these cases go unreported, with UN Women and Aurat Foundation surveys showing up to 90 percent of women face some sort of harassment during commutes, which underscores why women-only services like VSisters are filling the gaps.
Launched in June this year, VSisters is Pakistan’s first women-only ride-hailing service, a bold move aimed at providing safe, comfortable and harassment-free transportation through cars and motorbikes exclusively for women, with both riders and passengers being female.
Currently, the app operates in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore, with active female captains numbering 464 in total: 64 in Islamabad, 44 in Rawalpindi and 356 in Lahore.
“I got to know about VSisters through Instagram,” Umar told Arab News. “I felt very happy that I can now travel with a female rider. I never felt comfortable with male captains, and the best thing is that their rates are much lower than other apps.”
According to Pakistan’s 2023 population census, women comprise 48.51 percent of the country’s roughly 241.5 million people. Thousands of them travel daily for education, work and other commitments.
Women wait for transportation in Islamabad on April 21, 2020. (AFP/File)
Umer said she was satisfied with the service, as they reached the desired pick-up point within five to ten minutes.
“I prefer bike because it is easy to get out in a rush and the best thing about them [female riders] is that they never speed recklessly,” she added.
Pakistan’s ride-hailing market is currently dominated by inDrive, Bykea, and Yango after Uber shut down its app in 2024 and Careem suspended its core ride-hailing service in June this year, citing “worsening economic conditions and stiff market competition.”
Hassan Tariq, the founder of VSisters, said the idea came from a painful memory of an incident at a traffic signal in Islamabad, where a woman jumped off the back of a bike and began beating the rider for his humiliating behavior.
“I could feel that the women are actually not very comfortable driving around with the stranger men,” he told Arab News.
“It made me believe that this is the right time to have a dedicated service exclusively for women, where female drivers operate both cars and motorbikes, and the service caters only to female passengers,” he added.
Tariq said the aim of the platform is for women to feel safe and secure, with services run by women, for women and centered entirely around them.
He said the service has completed over 3,500 rides in this short time in three cities and expansion is already underway.
“In just one week, we will expand to Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan, and in the near future, we aim to grow into a nationwide company,” he added.
Describing the criteria to become part of VSisters, he said that for both motorbikes and cars, the requirement was the same: applicants had to be over 18 years of age, with a valid license and a Computerized National Identity Card.
“That’s it. We don’t require anything else on the ground,” he added.
Tariq said that women have to bring their own cars, while motorbikes are provided by the company, as he neither had sponsors nor wanted to run the platform with heavy commercial interests.
“I only keep a small share of 10 percent, which is very nominal and quite normal,” he added.
Like drivers on other apps, VSisters captains are also considered independent contractors, not formal employees. Pakistan has yet to pass laws guaranteeing benefits for gig workers.
Uzma Ahmed, a VSisters captain, said she found strength behind the wheel.
A 50-year-old divorcee and mother of three, she previously worked as a schoolteacher before deciding to leave her job since her salary could no longer cover her rent and her children’s fees.
“I had no choice,” she said. “I had to run the house.”
Now, as a car captain, she not only earns a respectable livelihood but also gives comfort to other women riding with her.
“When women sit with me, they are happy,” she said, adding sometimes the passengers call their families and tell them they are going with a woman driver.
“We both feel comfortable and talk openly, which is very different from when women ride with men,” Ahmed added.
Today, she drives her own car across Islamabad’s gated communities, confident in her independence.
“It is respectable work,” she added with pride. “With this, I can pay my rent, my children’s fees and stand on my own feet.”
Nadia Shehzad, a bike rider and instructor at VSisters, said she first learned to ride a motorbike through the platform before its launch, and now she trains other young women so they too can start their own work.
“I teach them how to ride the bike, how to use the app, and it is going great,” she said, adding that the whole training was free of cost.
Talking about her experience as a rider, Shehzad said occasionally she faced jeers and abusive remarks, which she ignored.
“All men are not bad, even some praise and give good comments, but others make offensive remarks we usually ignore,” she added.
She explained that the service is mostly used by female university students and working women, whose parents feel more at ease with women drivers, and many passengers prefer bikes as the more affordable option.
“The income depends on the number of rides but usually if a rider does 12 rides in a day, she earns around Rs2,500 ($8.90),” she added.
At approximately Rs2,500 ($8.81) a day, a VSisters rider can earn more than Pakistan’s minimum wage of Rs37,000–40,000 ($140.8) a month. This is a little less than what many Careem and Bykea captains report taking home at around Rs3500 ($12.46), though incomes vary by number of hours.
Pakistani lawyer and activist Nighat Dad, who runs the not-for-profit Digital Rights Foundation organization, termed VSisters a welcome initiative that responds to the “very real fears” women face in Pakistan’s transport sector.
“It not only offers safer commuting options but also new economic opportunities for women drivers,” she told Arab News.
Dad said for VSisters to truly set a new benchmark, it needs to strengthen privacy protections and app reliability alongside its bold vision of women driving women.
“Genuine safety must also mean digital safety and at present the app’s own disclosures show that sensitive location and contact data is collected without encryption, in a country where we still lack a comprehensive data protection law,” she said.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday warned of urban and coastal flooding in several parts of Pakistan from Sept. 7 till Sept. 10 as monsoon currents continue to penetrate southern parts of the country, with the nationwide death toll from monsoon rains and deluges rising to 910.
Heavy rains and excess water released by India have caused Punjab’s Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers to swell, triggering floods in the province that have killed at least 56 people, affected 4,100 villages and over 4.1 million people since late August, according to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
The southern Sindh province is bracing for peak floods early next week as floodwaters move downstream to reach the Indus river. Authorities say the floodwaters are likely to affect more than 320,000 people in the province, with nearly 128,000 already evacuated from riverine areas of the region.
In its advisory on Sunday evening, the PMD said a deep depression over northern Gujarat, India is likely to move westwards along adjoining areas of Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours, bringing torrential rains to Sindh, south-eastern Balochistan and southern parts of Punjab.
“Torrential rains may cause urban flooding/coastal flooding/water logging in low lying areas of Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparker, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Hyderabad, Dadu and Karachi from today (Night) to 10th September,” it said on Sunday.
“Water level may rise in Hub dam. More rains in flood affected areas of Punjab and Sindh may exacerbate the situation during the forecast period.”
Flash floods may hit Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining parts of Balochistan and the Kirthar mountain range in Sindh’s Dadu on Sept. 8-10, while landslides may cause roads closures in the vulnerable areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir, according to the PMD.
Heavy falls, windstorm and lightning may damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels during the forecast period.
“Public, travelers and tourists are advised to avoid unusual exposure to vulnerable areas to avoid any untoward situation and keep updated about latest weather conditions,” the PMD said.
In his meeting with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed special vigilance to ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products in view of flood situation in various parts of the country, Sharif’s office said.
President Asif Ali Zardari, whose Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rules the Sindh province, urged all institutions to make preparations for the possible floods.
“Provincial, district and local government institutions should be on alert to deal with possible flood situation,” he said in a statement issued from his office.
“Preparations should be ensured in urban areas, especially low-lying and coastal areas. Water levels in Hub Dam and other water bodies should be constantly monitored.”
Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said district commissioners have been asking residents of riverine areas to vacate their homes and move to safer locations as the flood in Indus river is likely to reach its peak on Sept. 9, bring flows of up to 800,000 cusecs.
“Our preparations are complete. The rain in Sindh is manageable... But we remain cautious,” he said. “At this time, the real need for support is in Punjab. Our health minister has already offered medical assistance to them.”
Punjab is home to half of the country’s 240 million people and accounts for much of its wheat and rice production, with initial estimates suggesting 1.3 million acres of agricultural land have been inundated in the province amid flooding of the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
Punjab PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia said there is a “very high flood situation” Chenab and Sutlej river near Multan in southern Punjab.
“All resources should be used for the evacuation of citizens,” he urged local administration. “Inform citizens about the situation through announcements in mosques.”
Over 4.1 million people have been impacted by floods in Punjab since late August and authorities have set up more than 400 temporary relief camps, according to Kathia.
Authorities have rescued a total of over 2,073,048 people, while 1,522,452 animals have been shifted to safer places across the province.
“Around 500 medical camps have served approximately 175,000 individuals,” Kathia said. “Rescue operations in Multan, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur continue vigorously.”
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earlier warned a 10th spell of monsoon season is likely to trigger heavy rains in Punjab and other parts of the country till Sept. 9.
“Due to rains in upper regions, there is a risk of unusual increases in river flows,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed was quoted as saying by the PDMA.
“By Sept.9, there is a risk of extremely high flooding in rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab.”
ISLAMABAD: Astronomy enthusiasts, students and the general public came together on Sunday to witness a rare lunar eclipse, commonly called the “Blood Moon,” which began in the Pakistani skies at around 0830pm local time.
The phenomenon happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up, causing the planet to cast a giant shadow across its satellite. But as the Earth’s shadow creeps across the Moon, it does not entirely blot out its white glow and instead the Moon glows a reddish color.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to observe with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes, according to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
The fascinating celestial phenomenon, which began in Pakistan at 0830pm, reached its maximum at 1157pm and concluded at 0155am on Monday, when a portion of the Moon appeared darkened as it passed through Earth’s shadow.
“The eclipse will be visible in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, with clear visibility expected in most regions of Pakistan, weather permitting,” SUPARCO said in a statement.
This phenomenon happens because the only sunlight that reaches the Moon is “bent and scattered” as it goes through Earth’s atmosphere, according to experts.
It is similar to how the light can become pink or red during sunrises or sunsets on Earth. The more clouds and dust there are in Earth’s atmosphere, the redder the Moon appears.
“This is a great chance for people, especially students and astronomy enthusiasts, to connect with science and explore the wonders of our Universe,” SUPARCO added.
KARACHI: Pakistani officials warned on Sunday of “extremely high” river floods as heavy monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams swelled rivers in Punjab, with the peak expected to hit the Indus in Sindh on Sept. 9.
Heavy monsoon rains and excess water released by Indian dams have caused Punjab’s rivers to swell, triggering floods in the province since late August. At least 56 people have been killed, more than 4,100 villages impacted and over 4.1 million people have been affected, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia.
Rains, deluges, landslides and similar incidents have claimed 910 lives nationwide since late June, when the monsoon began in Pakistan. The floodwaters in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers have now been moving downstream and will reach their peak in the Indus river in the southern Sindh province by Sept. 9, where authorities have evacuated at least 128,000 people.
On Sunday, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah said district commissioners have been asking residents of riverine areas to vacate their homes and move to safer locations as the flood peak is likely to displace more than 320,000 people, adding that provincial ministers are present on both right and left banks of the Indus to directly supervise evacuations.
“In preparation, evacuation of vulnerable riverine populations has been accelerated,” Shah said in a statement, adding that most evacuees had chosen not to stay at relief camps.
“So far, over 40,000 patients have been provided medical aid, while 900,000 livestock have been vaccinated.”
The provincial government is constructing bridges on the Indus highway to facilitate movement of people, according to the chief minister. All relief and health care camps have been geo-tagged, with boats, supplies and staff in place.
“Our preparations are complete. The rain in Sindh is manageable... But we remain cautious,” he said. “At this time, the real need for support is in Punjab. Our health minister has already offered medical assistance to them.”
Punjab is home to half of the country’s 240 million people and accounts for much of its wheat and rice production, with initial estimates suggesting 1.3 million acres of agricultural land have been inundated in the province amid flooding of the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned a 10th spell of monsoon season is likely to trigger heavy rains in Punjab and other parts of the country till Sept. 9.
“Due to rains in upper regions, there is a risk of unusual increases in river flows,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed was quoted as saying by the PDMA.
“By Sept.9, there is a risk of extremely high flooding in rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab.”
He said all departments of the provincial government are on alert, and all available resources are being utilized to protect the lives and property of citizens.
PUNJAB RIVERS SWELL
The PDMA shared that flooding in Punjab’s rivers was still continuing, adding that Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala village is experiencing an “extremely high flood level” with a water flow of 311,000 cusecs. At Sulemanki, it said the Sutlej river is facing a high flood level with a water flow of 138,000 cusecs.
At Marala, Chenab has recorded a water level of 84,000 cusecs while at Trimmu Headworks, the water flow has reached 543,000 cusecs, which was categorized as a high flood level.
The PDMA said that Ravi at Jassar location was at a “low” flood level, with its flow recorded at 56,000 cusecs. At Shahdara, the water was recorded at a high flood level of 93,000 cusecs.
“At Balloki Headworks, River Ravi is at an extremely high flood level with a water flow of 148,000 cusecs,” the PDMA said.
Over 4.1 million people have been impacted by the floods in Punjab since late August and authorities have set up more than 400 temporary relief camps, according to PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia.
“Around 500 medical camps have served approximately 175,000 individuals,” Kathia said. “Rescue operations in Multan, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur continue vigorously.”
He said a total of over 2,073,048 people have been rescued, while 1,522,452 animals have been shifted to safer locations across the province.
Pakistan, which ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, has experienced increasingly erratic, frequent weather events, including heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts, in recent years, which scientists have blamed on human-driven climate change.
In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian country.
ISLAMABAD: Bookme, a Pakistani e-ticketing startup, said on Sunday it aims to reach one million subscriber base in this year after signing a deal to become official ticketing technology provider of ’s rewards leader, Resal, enabling users to redeem loyalty points for travel, entertainment and leisure experiences.
Resal is a leading Saudi company in prepaid digital card solutions, loyalty and reward programs. It provides integrated technology solutions to enterprises, merchants and individuals through its diverse offerings, which include Resal for Business, Resal for Merchants and the Resal app with its built-in wallet. The company is distinguished by its strategic partnerships with more than 1,000 partners across government entities and the private sector.
Founded in 2013, Bookme is Pakistan’s leading cashless e-ticketing platform, offering users online bookings for travel via train, bus and airplanes, hotels, cinemas and events. The startup, which has forged partnerships with major transport and fintech companies across Pakistan, says it has over 15 million registered users, integrations with more than 30 banks and super apps, and more than 80 million bookings processed in over 11 years of its ticketing technology experience.
Bookme entered the Saudi market in 2024 through a strategic partnership with Mrsool, a leading food and package delivery app in the Kingdom, and the Saudi Tourism Ministry (STA). In early 2025, it signed a deal with flyadeal, a low-cost Saudi airline, to facilitate direct flight bookings between Pakistan and the Kingdom, aiming to generate $20 million annually from its expansion into .
“Resal, the Kingdom’s pioneering rewards and loyalty platform serving leading enterprises including Saudi Aramco, STC (Saudi Telecom Company), SAB (Saudi Awwal Bank) and Mobily, has signed Bookme as the official ticketing technology provider for its solutions,” Bookme founder Faizan Aslam told Arab News.
He shared the agreement, signed in Riyadh on Sept. 4 and officiated by Resal chief executive officer Hatem Kameli, will go live by the end of October.
Resal CEO Kameli said Bookme’s trusted ticketing infrastructure is the perfect addition to Resal’s solutions, according to a Bookme statement.
“This partnership allows us to expand our offering from digital rewards to real-world experiences, creating more value for employees and customers across the Kingdom,” he was quoted as saying.
Aslam said this partnership integrates Bookme’s advanced ticketing infrastructure with Resal’s loyalty ecosystem, enabling millions of users across to seamlessly redeem points for tickets to travel, entertainment, cultural and sporting events.
“We have more than 450,000 registered users in and Resal itself has more than 2.5 million customer base. If we manage to bring even 10 percent of it, we easily see our base in the Kingdom going more than double this year, touching one million,” he said
“Users across the Kingdom will now be able to use a mix of different reward point balances to purchase air travel, sports events, live concerts, activities and hotel bookings from a collection of over one million hotels worldwide.”
End users would also have the ability to aggregate loyalty points from multiple programs within the app, combining their value to access larger, more meaningful redemptions for various ticket options, a first in the Saudi market, according to the Bookme founder.
“On the technology side, the partnership leverages secure API (Application Programming Interface) integrations to ensure real-time ticket inventory, backed by Bookme’s multi-language customer support in Arabic and English,” he said.
Aslam said having strong partners like Resal would help Bookme establish itself in the Kingdom, adding that his company was in the process of signing agreements with multiple banks across and other Gulf countries.
“A few of these banking partnerships are currently awaiting the Saudi Central Bank approval and once that’s in place, we will be able to announce them publicly,” he added.
