A man in Peshawar was booked under the charges of cyberstalking and harassment on Friday by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) after he allegedly threatened to leak personal pictures of the complainant online.

In a statement, NCCIA said that the suspect — who was arrested from the Faqirabad area of Peshawar — was posting photos of the complainant on TikTok and had threatened to post photos of an obscene nature on the platform.

“The incident caused severe mental and social damage to the victim,” the NCCIA said.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the suspect under Section 16 (Unauthorised use of identity information), Section 20 (Offences against dignity of a natural person), and Section 24 (Cyberstalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, as well as Section 419 (cheating by personatation) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar Ahmed, said in a statement that strict action would be taken against those who are involved in such activities, calling it a “serious crime”.

According to a Digital Rights Foundation report, a total of 3,171 complaints of tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) were received from across the country in 2024.

A large number of women in the country across all age groups and classes continue to face violence and endure sexual, mental, and physical abuse despite improvements in education, according to a 2023 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

On Wednesday, the National Assembly urged the government to ensure strict punishment to those involved in unauthorised video recording, cyber-harassment, and digital defamation.

In June, the national cybersecurity authority urged citizens to use social media responsibly and remain vigilant against cyber threats.

The body pointed out that women are “frequently targeted” with cyber harassment, identity theft and image-based abuse, risks that are “compounded by broader societal inequities”.