Data Of 300,000 Hajj Applicants Found On Dark Web

Abdullah Hussain (@Abdulla99267510) Published September 20, 2025 | 01:41 PM

PTA chairman reveals that data of nearly 300,000 Hajj applicants has been leaked on the dark web since 2022, as senators voice concern over weak data security and poor mobile services.

Islamabad: (UrduPoint / UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 20,2025) Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General ® Hafeez-ur-Rehman has disclosed that the personal data of nearly 300,000 individuals who applied for Hajj has been leaked on the dark web.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on IT, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, the PTA chief said the data breach was first reported in 2022.

He noted that SIM card information is held by telecom companies and confirmed that even his own SIM data has been on the dark web since 2022. He emphasized that spectrum auctions are the key to addressing internet issues in the country.

During the session, government Senator Afnanullah Khan claimed that Pakistan is under external pressure not to introduce laws ensuring data protection.

The committeee also expressed strong displeasure over poor mobile phone services across the country, particularly frequent call drops.