The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that personal data of more than 300,000 Hajj applicants has been leaked and is being sold on the dark web. According to Geo News, PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman told the Senate Standing Committee on IT that the leaked records include SIM information, CNICs, travel histories, and other sensitive details. Daily Times also reported that even the PTA chairman’s own SIM data has been compromised.
The PTA data leak, first disclosed in Senate briefings reported by sources, involves Hajj applicants’ personal data collected through telecom and travel systems. Officials stated that SIM data, international travel records, and mobile history of citizens are available on dark web marketplaces.
The Hajj data leak was first detected in 2022, when PTA launched an internal inquiry. According to Geo News, despite ongoing efforts to block websites selling stolen records, the PTA confirmed that the data leak remains active and continues to circulate on dark web forums.
Dark Web Sale Prices
As reported by Daily Times, investigators revealed that the stolen PTA Hajj data is being sold at extremely low prices:
- SIM data for Rs. 500 (~$1.76 USD)
- Mobile call and record history for Rs. 2,000 (~$7 USD)
- International travel details for Rs. 5,000 (~$17.55 USD)
These are the prices of a black market that is expanding in the personal data of Pakistani citizens.
According to senators, repeated data leaks in Pakistan jeopardize national security and digital sovereignty. PTA officials reportedly informed the Senate IT Committee that stolen information could be used in cyber wars.
The Personal Data Protection Bill, modeled on the EU’s GDPR framework, remains pending in Parliament. Existing law, PECA 2016, only addresses cybercrime punishments and lacks strong preventive privacy measures. Senators demanded faster approval of the bill to protect citizens from future PTA data leaks.
The Ministry of Interior has directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate the Hajj data leak and identify the sources of the PTA-related breach. Geo News stated that lawmakers also proposed creating a national data center and enforcing stricter cybersecurity protocols to prevent further data theft.
 has confirmed that personal data of more than 300,000 Hajj applicants has been leaked and is being sold on the dark web. According to Geo News, PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman told the Senate Standing Committee on IT that the leaked records include SIM information, CNICs, travel histories, and other sensitive details. Daily Times also reported that even the PTA chairman’s own SIM data has been compromised.){kind=link}