Senate Panel Discusses Cyberattack on Private TV Channel, Questions Raised Over Broadcast Security

Islamabad

Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Wednesday reviewed a recent cyberattack on a private television channel that allegedly led to the hacking of its broadcast transmission.

Briefing the committee, the Director General of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (National CERT) said the incident was not a conventional IP-based cyberattack.

“The attack did not originate through a typical IP-based cyber intrusion,” the DG National CERT told the committee. “Instead, the satellite uplink stream was compromised, which allowed the attackers to interfere with the channel’s broadcast.”

He further informed lawmakers that initial assessments suggest the attack may have originated from one of four possible countries, though investigations are still underway to determine the exact source.

During the meeting, the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said the regulator had established a National Telecom CERT to strengthen cybersecurity oversight within the telecommunications sector.

He added that the PTA maintains live monitoring of all telecom companies operating in the country as part of its regulatory and security framework.

Committee members emphasized the need to enhance cybersecurity mechanisms to protect broadcast infrastructure and prevent similar incidents in the future.