The federal government has synchronized its on-ground and online security strategies for Muharram-ul-Haram, linking provincial coordination on communications suspensions with enhanced cyber surveillance.

On June 25, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting to review Muharram security arrangements nationwide, resolving that any suspension of mobile phone or internet services “will be considered in consultation with provincial authorities.” The session, which covered all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory, also agreed to take firm action against individuals spreading religious hatred via social media.

Building on those directives, on June 28 the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) formed an 18-member committee to monitor online platforms for hate speech and sectarian content during Muharram. According to NCCIA Director General Waqaruddin Syed’s notification, the panel will be chaired by Additional Director Ayaz Khan and convened by Deputy Director Akram Mughal—an initiative “following directives from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi” to ensure consistent enforcement of the code of conduct both offline and online.