In light of revelations that Pakistan is a popular target for foreign espionage, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday advised the government to take immediate steps to ensure cyber security for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and its missions abroad.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, addressing the meeting, had earlier told the committee said that Pakistan is one of three countries in the world — alongside China and Iran — monitored extensively by foreign spies.

Explore: NSA used malware to spy on Pakistani civilian, military leadership: report

Hussain lamented that Pakistan had still not taken any measures to ensure cyber security. "We are quite late in this regard," he said, raising concerns over a delay in a release of funds sought by the MOFA for cyber security.

The MOFA had sought Rs80 million from the federal government for the purposes of improving cyber security.

This amount has yet to be released by the federal government, an additional secretary of MOFA told the meeting.

He acknowledged on the occasion that there cyber threats to MOFA and Pakistan's missions abroad are ever present, and there is a serious need to secure them.

Read more: IB to brief senators on ‘spy signals’ aimed at PM Secretariat

During the meeting, the Foreign Office had to face severe criticism for a planned state guest house in Islamabad, for which it has sought Rs5 billion. Senator Hussain said it is ironic that MOFA is seeking Rs5bn for a state guest house when it cannot manage Rs80m for cyber security, which is a far greater threat.

The standing committee strongly recommended to the federal government that it release the funds promised for cyber security to MOFA on an emergency basis.

Opinion

Editorial

Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...
Rushed legislation
Updated 06 Nov, 2024

Rushed legislation

For all its stress on "supremacy of parliament", the ruling coalition has wasted no opportunity to reiterate where its allegiances truly lie.
Jail reform policy
06 Nov, 2024

Jail reform policy

THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national...
BISP overhaul
06 Nov, 2024

BISP overhaul

IT has emerged that the spouses of over 28,500 Sindh government employees have been illicitly benefiting from BISP....