NCCIA registers FIR after journalist alleges foreign network tried to recruit him for anti Pakistan propaganda

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a case against unidentified suspects after investigative journalist Fakhar Durrani alleged that a foreign network attempted to recruit him to publish pre-written articles critical of Pakistan’s state institutions and obtain sensitive information.

The FIR, registered on July 28 at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad under Sections 9 and 10 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, states that the case was initiated following an inquiry that found prima facie evidence of a coordinated foreign influence operation.

According to Durrani, a woman posing as a representative of a Dubai-based public relations company contacted him and offered Rs70,000 per article to publish content on Pakistan’s military leadership, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Pakistan-China relations and other sensitive issues.

He alleged that Rs103,000 was transferred to his account through digital and cryptocurrency-based payment methods and that he was promised relocation abroad if he faced action by Pakistani authorities.

Durrani also claimed that the network asked him to use his influence to help foreign media outlets, including DW, France 24 and The Sun, expand their presence in Pakistan, while supplying three publication-ready articles and seeking unpublished information related to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and government institutions.

According to the FIR, investigators found that unidentified suspects contacted the journalist through Facebook, WhatsApp and other online platforms while concealing their identities.

The inquiry alleges they offered financial inducements, supplied publication-ready articles, transferred funds through digital payment channels and attempted to obtain sensitive information relating to state institutions and national security.

The FIR states that the alleged activities were part of a coordinated effort to disseminate anti-state narratives, influence public opinion through covert means and unlawfully procure sensitive information. Authorities said further investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators.