Effectiveness of Cybercrime Legislation and Enforcement Mechanisms in Pakistan: A Mixed-Method Evaluation of PECA 2016, Legislative Reforms, and The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i2.2308Keywords:
Cybercrime, Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Cybercrime Enforcement, Digital Forensics, Cyber Security Governance.Abstract
Contemporary societies have been changed by the rapid development of digital technologies, which have improved communication, commerce, governance and information access. This technological progress has also enabled the development of complex cyber threats that are threatening the established legal and institutional order. This research aims to analyze and assess the effectiveness of cybercrime legislation, law enforcement tools and their measures in Pakistan by using the doctrinal analysis and comparison along with empirical investigation using mixed method. The research critically examines the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), and the changes made in the Act in 2022 and 2025, and the changing role of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in the fight against cybercrime. The qualitative aspect of the study analyzes the cybercrime scenario in Pakistan and compares Pakistan's legal and institutional strategies with those of the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, and the European Union. The quantitative part involves analyzing quantitative data gathered from 200 respondents, comprising legal practitioners, law enforcement officials, IT experts, academic researchers and cybercrime victims. The results indicate that Pakistan has a strong legislation to deal with cybercrimes, however, there are still challenges in the field of digital forensic, institutional coordination, public awareness, enforcement and international cooperation. The empirical findings also show that stakeholders are strongly supportive of the establishment of specialised cybercrime courts, increase of digital forensic infrastructure, ongoing professional training and increased cooperation between national and international stakeholders. It is concluded that the governance of cybercrime should be multidimensional and involve legislative modernisation, institutional development, technology development and awareness. It calls for specific law and policy interventions to strengthen Pakistan's capabilities to prevent, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime in a digital world.
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