NCCIA DG Syed Khurram Ali grants 3-month contract extension to 212 phase-3 staff amid pending court cases

Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Syed Khurram Ali, a BS-21 police officer,

ISLAMABAD: Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Syed Khurram Ali, a BS-21 police officer, has approved a three-month extension for the contracts of 212 officers and officials serving in Phase-3 of the agency.

The employees, ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 14, have been working on a contractual basis. The extension has been granted at a time when constitutional petitions seeking the regularization of NCCIA employees are still pending before the courts.

DG Syed Khurram Ali, who assumed charge of the NCCIA in October 2025 after replacing Waqaruddin Syed, approved the extension through an official order. The decision covers employees recruited during the third phase of staffing for the agency.

The ongoing legal proceedings concern contractual employees recruited across all three phases of the former FIA Cyber Crime Wing. The wing was subsequently transformed into the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the administrative control of the Ministry of Interior.

While Phase-3 employees have received a temporary extension, uncertainty continues to surround the future of staff recruited during Phase-1 and Phase-2.

Instead of taking a final policy decision regarding the regularization of contractual employees, the federal government has so far relied on extensions to retain staff. Employees and officials familiar with the matter say that several proposals and summaries have been submitted to the relevant authorities to address the issue, but a final decision on regularization remains pending.

Officials say the issue has become increasingly important as the NCCIA continues to deal with a growing number of cybercrime complaints and investigations across the country.

According to the notification, six officers and officials among the 212 employees granted the three-month extension are currently facing departmental inquiries and related cases.

The inclusion of employees facing inquiries has raised questions about the criteria being applied while approving contract extensions.

Accountability and administrative experts believe that staffing decisions in a sensitive law enforcement organization should take into account employees’ performance, conduct and clearance from ongoing disciplinary proceedings. The NCCIA handles cases involving cybercrime, digital evidence, financial fraud and other sensitive data-related offences.

The NCCIA was established to replace the FIA Cyber Crime Wing and has been tasked with investigating a wide range of digital crimes, including online fraud, harassment, data theft and financial crimes committed through digital platforms.

The agency recruited employees in three phases on a contractual basis to strengthen its operational capacity. Its responsibilities include receiving and investigating cybercrime complaints, conducting digital forensic examinations and supporting investigations involving digital evidence.

The agency’s 24/7 helpline for reporting digital crime complaints is 1799.

Employees say continued uncertainty over their employment status could affect morale and operational continuity, particularly at a time when cybercrime cases are increasing nationwide.

The Ministry of Interior has yet to announce a clear timeline or final policy regarding the regularization of contractual employees serving in the NCCIA.