ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Tuesday proposed the establishment of a center of excellence at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address cybersecurity challenges and ensure a secure digital future for its members.
The OIC is an intergovernmental organization comprising 57 Muslim countries. Established in 1969, it aims to promote unity, solidarity and cooperation among member states on political, economic, cultural and scientific issues.
The proposal to set up the center of excellence on cybersecurity was presented by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman as he addressed the inaugural session of a two-day international workshop focusing on the issue that started earlier in the day.
The workshop, jointly organized by the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Huawei Technologies in Pakistan, has attracted over 300 participants from various countries, both in person and online.
Discussions focus on critical cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC member countries.
“Cybersecurity is a subject which cannot be handled alone by an organization or a country,” Rehman said at the workshop. “We need collaborations by joining hands with each other, and we should establish a center of excellence at the OIC level to ensure a safe digital future for our people.”
The PTA chairman said that in an era where technology was pervasive, digitization had increased vulnerabilities, making it essential to adopt and deploy technologies that ensure safety, security and the protection of critical networks.
“In this collaboration, we can focus on research, training, sharing frameworks with each other and documenting our collective experiences,” he added.
Rehman highlighted that the PTA had developed vital regulations to guide the country’s telecom sector in protecting critical data infrastructure. He also pointed out that Pakistan currently ranks among the top 40 countries, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“Previously, we were ranked 79th in the world,” he informed. “Now, we are 40th globally. This means we have advanced by nearly 30 positions in the cybersecurity domain.”
In his address, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, proposed an OIC ministerial conference on cybersecurity to facilitate experience sharing and the development of robust cyber defense systems across the Muslim world.
“To take this initiative forward, COMSTECH will organize two global cybersecurity forums in Central Asia and Africa in collaboration with Huawei and OIC-CERT [[Computer Emergency Response Team], focusing on capacity building and fostering linkages,” he added.
Sun Xiaofei, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies Pakistan, underscored the critical role played by tech firms in advancing cybersecurity initiatives and enhancing digital resilience.
“Huawei is committed to supporting OIC countries as they work to tackle cybersecurity challenges and protect their digital economies,” he said. “Being a technological leader in ICT, Huawei not only invests in cutting-edge technologies but also prioritizes securing the ecosystem, keeping cybersecurity at the top of its agenda.”
“Working with COMSTECH and OIC-CERT, we aim to help OIC countries formulate policies and frameworks to implement cybersecurity initiatives using our global experience and advanced technology,” he added.
Pakistan proposes cybersecurity center of excellence to bolster digital security for OIC nations
https://arab.news/cwfts
Pakistan proposes cybersecurity center of excellence to bolster digital security for OIC nations
- Two-day workshop on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities for OIC nations is being hosted in Islamabad
- PTA chief informs the gathering Pakistan ranks among the top 40 nations in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024
Islamabad legal fraternity to rally today against Pakistani lawyer couple’s sentencing
- Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, husband Hadi Ali Chattha were sentenced to 17 years in prison over social media posts critical of military
- Islamabad High Court Bar Association announces day-long strike, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan to organize protest in Karachi today
ISLAMABAD: Lawyers in Pakistan’s capital have gone on strike and will stage a protest today, Monday, against a court’s decision sentencing rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to a cumulative 17 years in prison over social media posts, a senior Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) member said.
Mazari-Hazir and Chattha were arrested on Friday while they were on their way to a court appearance, after which they were remanded to two weeks in judicial custody. Authorities had accused Mazari-Hazir and Chattha of violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) over posts on X that they said incited ethnic divisions and portrayed the military as being involved in “terrorism.” Both deny the allegations.
In a written verdict on Saturday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka said the prosecution had proved its case against both defendants under Sections 9, 10 and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), while acquitting them of a separate hate-speech charge.
A joint meeting of the IBA, Islamabad Bar Council and Islamabad High Court Bar Association was held on Saturday. The IBA announced a three-day strike from Jan. 26-28 against Mazari-Hazir and Chattha’s arrest following the meeting. It said the strike was also being held against the police’s alleged manhandling of senior IBA members while the couple was arrested, adding that lawyers were not allowed to attend their hearing.
“Since then, the sentence has been announced, which we believe was done without hearing the accused, a key legal requirement,” IBA Secretary Raja Khawar Nawaz Dhanyal told Arab News. “We therefore also protest the sentencing of Imaan and Hadi and demand that the sentence be suspended. We will also hold a rally today.”
An earlier press release from the IBA said the rally would take place at 11:00 am at the district court in Islamabad’s G-11 sector.
Dhanyal said the IBA also demands that full details of any cases lodged against Mazari-Hazir and Chattha should be disclosed.
Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Wahid Gilani also said its members were observing a strike against the sentencing.
“It’s a day-long strike, we will decided next line of action in the evening,” Gilani told Arab News.
Separately, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was organizing a protest against the Mazari-Hazir and Chattha’s arrest in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Monday evening.
The rights body said the protest will be held at the Karachi Press Club at 4:30 pm.
“HRCP Chairperson Asad Butt appeals to activists, lawyers and civil society members to join the protest to reclaim civil space and defend freedom of expression in Pakistan,” it said.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had reacted to news of the couple’s sentencing on Saturday by writing on social media platform: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
