Law: Constitution of Pakistan 1973

Section: 199, 4, 9, 10-A, 18, 23, 24

Law: Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016

Section: 29

Law: Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Act, 2010

Section: 8

Law: Federal Investigation Agency Act, (VIII of 1974)

Section: 5(5)

Tagline

Limits on Cyber Crime Agency's Coercive Powers: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is an independent statutory body that does not inherit the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) administrative seizure powers; it cannot block or freeze a citizen's bank account through administrative correspondence or email without strict judicial authorization and adherence to the statutory procedures of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), 2010.

 Summary

The Petitioners, who are family members of a principal accused (Muhammad Faysal Anwar), challenged the blocking and freezing of their bank accounts by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in connection with Enquiry No. 2669/2025. The inquiry arose from a private financial dispute in Dubai, where a complainant (Aziz Dil) alleged that AED 838,238 was transferred from his company's bank accounts into the accounts of the principal accused and his relatives. The NCCIA blocked the Petitioners' accounts by sending administrative emails directly to the concerned banks, citing its authority under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 (AMLA) and Rule 5 of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (Function) Rules, 2025.

The Islamabad High Court allowed the writ petition, declaring the blocking of the bank accounts illegal and of no legal effect, based on the following key findings: