Security News > 2007 > August > E-crime law to enhance Pakistan's e-readiness ranking, says Awais
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?187463 August 23, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari Thursday said the adoption of cyber crime bill by the federal cabinet was a major step towards ensuring a secure business environment and promotion of e-commerce. He said the e-crime bill which will be tabled in the parliament very soon, would help draw more business and improve Pakistan's e-readiness ranking as reflected in indices maintained by various agencies and business journals of the world. The minister was addressing a press conference a day after the federal cabinet approved the Prevention of Electronic Crime Bill 2007. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been given the mandate to probe cases falling under the preview of the e-crime law. He said the e-crime law would require the internet companies maintain their traffic data for at least six months to enable the agencies to investigate cases involving data stored by them. He said the government would create special IT tribunals in Islamabad as well as provincial headquarters to investigate and check growing incidents of crimes which remained unpunished for a lack of specific law. Awais Leghari said the proposed law titled as Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2007 offers penalties ranging from six months to 10 years of punishment for 17 types of cyber crimes, including cyber terrorism, hacking of websites and criminal access to secure data. Thirteen of the crimes listed under the law are bailable. He said the government had followed a thorough consultative process, including study of similar laws being practiced in 42 countries, to firm up the draft bill which after being passed by the legislature, would render reprehensible acts such as criminal intimidation and sexual harassment through internet, financial fraud and identity theft, hacking, illegal access to highly sensitive data and cyber terrorism which was becoming a global phenomenon. He said the law would enable the government to seek extradition of foreign nationals through Interpol for their involvement in criminal activities punishable under the law. "This law would work like other laws of the country and the agencies would be able to seek extradition of foreign nationals residing in countries which have mutual extradition treatises signed with Pakistan," he added. 5B ____________________________________ Attend HITBSecConf2007 - Malaysia Taking place September 3-6 2007 featuring seven tracks of technical training and a dual-track security conference with keynote speakers Lance Spitzner and Mikko Hypponen! - Book your seats today! http://conference.hitb.org/hitbsecconf2007kl/