How to Report Child Abuse Images Online in Pakistan to the NCCIA
How to report child sexual abuse images or videos online in Pakistan to the NCCIA, what to keep as evidence, what never to forward, and PECA penalties.
To report child sexual abuse images or videos online in Pakistan, file a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) through its complaint portal, complaint.nccia.gov.pk, and report the post on the platform too. Do not download, screenshot or forward the material itself: under section 22 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, possessing or sharing it is a crime. Record the link, the account name and the date instead.
Most people who stumble on this material freeze. They do not want to look again, and they fear that reporting will drag them into a case. Both reactions are normal. The law is written to punish the people who make and share this content, not the person who reports it properly.
On 10 October 2026 an NCCIA Lahore official told reporters the agency had arrested three suspects in a week in child sexual abuse material cases, and had signed agreements with international artificial intelligence organisations to help trace such content. Those details come from his media briefing and we could not read them on the NCCIA's own site. The reporting route below does not depend on them.
Report to the NCCIA, and never download or forward the material
The NCCIA is the federal agency for cybercrime. The 2025 amendment to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) set it up, and the Federal Investigation Agency's site now links its "NCCIA Cyber Crime Complaint" button to complaint.nccia.gov.pk.
Here is the part people get wrong. Section 22 of PECA covers anyone who "produces, offers or makes available, distributes or transmits" this material, and anyone who "without lawful justification possesses" it. Forwarding a video to a friend "so they can report it too" is distribution. Saving it "as evidence" on your phone is possession. Let investigators collect the material; your job is to point them to it.
What you should keep is information, not images:
- The full link (URL) to the post, group or channel.
- The username, profile link and phone number of the account that posted it.
- The platform name, and the date and time you saw it.
- A written note of what you saw, in your own words.
What Pakistani law says about online child abuse
An amendment in 2023 added most of these offences and raised the punishment for section 22. Under section 43, the offences in sections 22 to 22C are non-bailable and cognizable by the investigation agency, which means the agency can arrest and investigate without first going to court.
| PECA section | Offence | Punishment in the law |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Making, sharing or possessing sexual material of a minor | Up to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 1 million |
| 22A | Online grooming of a minor for sexual abuse | 5 to 10 years and a fine of Rs 500,000 to Rs 10 million |
| 22B | Commercial sexual exploitation of children online | 14 to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 1 million |
| 22C | Contacting a minor online to kidnap or traffic them | 14 to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 1 million |
| 24A | Cyberbullying of a child | 1 to 5 years and a fine of Rs 100,000 to Rs 500,000 |
The law also protects the child in court. Section 30C says trials of offences against minors are held in camera, meaning closed to the public, and nobody may publish details of the proceedings without the court's permission. Section 30D tells the investigation agency to collect information on child abuse content referred for blocking before it is removed, so the evidence is not lost.
How to report, step by step
Do the platform report and the NCCIA complaint the same day. The platform can remove the post in hours. The NCCIA can find the person behind it.
- Copy the link and the account details. Close the content once you have them.
- Report the post or account inside the app, choosing the child safety or child sexual exploitation option.
- Open complaint.nccia.gov.pk in a normal browser and register with your CNIC and mobile number.
- Choose the cybercrime complaint, describe what you saw, and paste the links and account details.
- Save the complaint number and follow up with it.
- If a child you know is in danger offline, also call the child protection helpline in your province.
The NCCIA site and its complaint portal block automated requests, so we could not test the forms ourselves. Older advice still lists the FIA cybercrime helpline 1991, which remains in the FIA website footer. Our step-by-step on reporting a cybercrime in Pakistan keeps the latest channels.
Getting images of your own child taken down
If the images show your own child, you have an extra right. PECA section 22(2) lets the victim, or the guardian when the victim is a minor, apply to "the Authority" to remove, destroy or block the material. Section 24A gives the same right for cyberbullying of a child.
After the 2025 amendment, PECA defines that Authority as the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority. We could not find a public complaint form from that body on 10 October 2026. Until one exists, file with the NCCIA, report on the platform, and ask the NCCIA officer handling your case to pursue removal.
Never pay anyone who promises to remove the images for money. That is a common second scam aimed at frightened parents. If someone is threatening to post images unless you pay, read reporting online blackmail with private photos before you reply to them.
If a child is being groomed or blackmailed right now
Grooming usually starts as friendship. An adult, often pretending to be a teenager, gives gifts, game credits or attention, then asks for photos and secrecy. Signs include a child hiding a new chat app, receiving gifts or top-ups from strangers, or suddenly becoming fearful about a phone.
Stay calm with the child. Do not delete the chats and do not confront the adult, because both can destroy evidence. Take the phone, note the account details, and report to the NCCIA. For abuse in the home or neighbourhood, Punjab's helpline is explained in reporting child abuse in Punjab on 1121. Afterwards, setting parental controls on a child's phone makes a repeat much harder.
Common questions
Will I get in trouble for reporting child abuse images I came across?
Reporting is not an offence. The risk comes from downloading, keeping or forwarding the material. Keep only the link and account details, and report quickly.
Where do I report child abuse content online in Pakistan?
To the NCCIA through complaint.nccia.gov.pk, and to the platform where you saw it. Use your province's child protection helpline if a child is in danger offline.
What is the punishment for child pornography under PECA?
Section 22 sets imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 1 million. It is non-bailable.
Is online grooming a crime in Pakistan?
Yes. Section 22A, added in 2023, punishes grooming a minor online for sexual abuse with 5 to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 million.
Will my child have to appear in an open court?
No. PECA section 30C says trials of offences against minors are held in camera, and the court can use video links or screens to protect the child.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We checked on 10 October 2026. Every offence, punishment and procedure above is from the text of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 as amended on the Pakistan Code (sections 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 24A, 30C, 30D, 43 and the definition of "Authority"). The NCCIA complaint link and the 1991 helpline are from the FIA's overseas services page. The NCCIA Lahore arrests and AI agreements were stated by an NCCIA official to the media on 10 October 2026 and are reported, not read at source.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
