An Islamabad sessions court has handed two men ten years in prison each for blackmailing a 12-year-old girl and circulating her objectionable photographs. The Islamabad cybercrime verdict by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka is among the heaviest sentences handed down this year in a case of digital abuse against a minor.
The court found Tayyab Shehzad and Zeeshan Haider guilty on charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. Alongside the jail terms, each convict must pay a fine of Rs2 million. Police took both men into custody from the courtroom and transferred them to jail.
The court handed seven years under Section 22 and three more under Section 24
The judge split the sentence between two provisions of the cybercrime law. Under Section 22 of PECA, which deals with the unauthorised use of a person’s identity information, each convict received seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million. Under Section 24, which covers cyberstalking, each received another three years and a further Rs1 million fine. The combined terms run to ten years and Rs2 million in fines per convict.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case on the complaint of the girl’s father. Case records show Shehzad, a WhatsApp user, obtained indecent photographs and videos of the 12-year-old and sent them through the app with threats of dire consequences. The father’s complaint was filed at the NCCIA’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad.
In his remarks, Judge Majoka said exploiting minors and humiliating or blackmailing them through electronic crimes was an unforgivable offence, adding that strict action against such elements was necessary to protect society. Relatives of the victim and members of the legal community welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for justice.
Why the court acquitted the convicts on one charge
One part of the judgment drew close attention from legal observers. The court acquitted both men of the charge under Section 21 of PECA, which deals with the public exhibition or display of offensive information. In an 11-page detailed order, the judge held that the explicit material was transmitted between the accused and to the complainant, rather than disseminated publicly on a social media platform for general viewing. Because the law’s Section 21 charge requires public exhibition, that charge did not apply.
The court gave a detailed judicial reading of the terms “Sexually Explicit Conduct” and “Publicly” under Section 2(1)(xxviia) of the 2016 law, drawing a clear line between private transmission used for blackmail and public circulation. Child rights advocates said the distinction matters: it allows blackmailers to be punished under the identity and stalking provisions even when the material never goes viral.
What the Islamabad cybercrime verdict means for online child safety
Pakistan’s courts have grown visibly stricter on digital crimes against children. The NCCIA has stepped up enforcement as well: its one-month cybercrime sweep led to 1,129 arrests, while a separate Lahore operation rounded up 281 suspects, including foreign nationals.
The verdict comes as the authorities expand the tools they use against online abuse of minors. AI-assisted detection is now being deployed in child abuse investigations, and child protection bureaus continue to intervene in exploitation cases, most recently taking 16 children into protective custody in Multan.
Legal experts say Thursday’s ruling sets a marker. Ten-year terms under PECA for blackmailing a child show that courts are willing to use the full range of the cybercrime law. The law has also been applied in other high-profile matters, including the judicial remand of TV host Iqrarul Hassan in a PECA case. For parents, the message is equally clear: complaints to the NCCIA’s reporting centres can lead to arrests, prosecutions, and convictions that hold.
Who was convicted in the Islamabad cybercrime case?
Tayyab Shehzad and Zeeshan Haider were convicted of blackmailing a 12-year-old girl and circulating her objectionable photographs. Each received ten years in prison and a Rs2 million fine.
What charges were the men convicted under?
They were convicted under Sections 22 (seven years plus Rs1 million fine) and 24 (three years plus Rs1 million fine) of PECA. They were acquitted under Section 21 because the material was not disseminated publicly.
Which agency investigated the case?
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case on the complaint of the minor girl’s father at its Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad.
What did the court say about crimes against children online?
Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka said exploiting minors and humiliating or blackmailing them through electronic crimes was an unforgivable offence requiring strict legal action to protect society.
