Repeated online harassment, fake accounts, and threats are punishable under PECA 2016. This guide explains the relevant offences, the FIA complaint process, evidence preservation, and parallel civil remedies.

Draft pending advocate review. This guide is awaiting final review by Advocate Muhammad Iqbal Khan.

Repeated unwanted messages. Fake accounts made in your name. Threats sent late at night. Someone tracking your online activity and refusing to stop. Cyberstalking is a pattern of harassment conducted through phones and the internet — and Pakistani law treats it as a crime, not a private annoyance.

This guide explains the legal remedies for cyberstalking and online harassment under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), how to complain to the FIA Cybercrime Wing, and the practical steps that protect you. This is general information, not advice for your particular situation.

What the law prohibits

PECA contains several offences directly relevant to online harassment:

  • Cyberstalking: repeated use of electronic communications to coerce, intimidate, or harass — including following a person online, making unwanted contact, or monitoring their activities. Punishable with imprisonment and fine.
  • Offences against dignity: transmitting information that harms a person's dignity or reputation through an information system.
  • Offences against modesty: the more serious offence of transmitting sexually explicit or compromising material intended to harm a person's modesty — carrying heavier punishment.
  • Spamming and spoofing: where harassment is conducted through bulk or disguised communications.

These offences can overlap with traditional crimes — criminal intimidation, defamation, and blackmail — which may be charged alongside the cyber offences.

Complaining to the FIA Cybercrime Wing

  • Where to complain: the FIA Cybercrime Wing receives complaints at its reporting centres and through its online complaint portal.
  • What to include: your CNIC details, the harasser's known identifiers (numbers, usernames, URLs), a chronological account, and preserved evidence.
  • Preserving evidence: take screenshots showing usernames, timestamps, and full message threads; save originals; do not edit or crop in ways that obscure context.
  • Investigation: the FIA can trace numbers and accounts through service providers, leading to identification even where the harasser hides behind fake profiles.
  • Trial: cases are tried by the designated courts under PECA.

Civil and protective remedies alongside the criminal case

A criminal complaint is not the only option. Depending on the facts, you may also:

  • Seek a civil suit for damages where the harassment has caused measurable harm.
  • Approach the court for injunctive relief — orders restraining the harasser from further contact or publication.
  • In family contexts, combine the complaint with protection orders or custody-related applications where children are affected.

Immediate safety steps

  • Do not engage: responding often escalates the harassment and gives the stalker what they want — your attention.
  • Preserve everything before blocking: screenshots, URLs, timestamps.
  • Tighten privacy: review followers, friend lists, and profile visibility on every platform.
  • Tell someone: a family member or friend should know what is happening.
  • Report on the platforms too: parallel reports to the social media platform can get abusive accounts removed quickly.
  • Complain promptly: digital evidence can disappear; early complaints preserve it.

Your practical checklist

  • Keep a dated log of every incident — what happened, when, on which platform.
  • Screenshot with context: show the username, date, and full thread, not isolated fragments.
  • Do not delete the original messages or accounts until advised.
  • Note any real-world escalation — following, showing up, threats to family.
  • File the FIA complaint with complete, organised evidence.
  • Consider parallel civil or injunctive relief where the harm is ongoing.
  • Get legal advice before confronting the harasser directly.

Frequently asked questions

Can the FIA trace a fake account?

Often, yes. The FIA can obtain subscriber and location data from service providers through legal process, which frequently identifies harassers hiding behind fake profiles.

What if the harasser is abroad?

Cross-border cases are harder but not hopeless — preserved evidence, platform reports, and mutual legal assistance channels may all play a role. Get advice on the specific facts.

Is online harassment punishable if there were no physical threats?

Yes. PECA's stalking, dignity, and modesty offences do not require physical threats — persistent unwanted contact and harmful transmissions are themselves offences.

Should I delete the abusive messages?

No — preserve them first. Screenshots and originals are the foundation of both the FIA complaint and any court case.

Related guides

Need guidance on your situation? Cyberstalking cases are won on preserved evidence and prompt complaints — we can help you organise both and pursue the right forum. Contact us to book a confidential consultation.

By Advocate Muhammad Iqbal Khan

Draft pending advocate review.

Last reviewed:

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice for your specific matter.

Common questions

Often, yes. The FIA can obtain subscriber and location data from service providers through legal process, which frequently identifies harassers hiding behind fake profiles.

Cross-border cases are harder but not hopeless — preserved evidence, platform reports, and mutual legal assistance channels may all play a role. Get advice on the specific facts.

Yes. PECA's stalking, dignity, and modesty offences do not require physical threats — persistent unwanted contact and harmful transmissions are themselves offences.

No — preserve them first. Screenshots and originals are the foundation of both the FIA complaint and any court case.

Related guides

Need guidance on your matter? Book a Consultation

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice for your specific matter. Online contact does not create an advocate–client relationship.