ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has launched an AI-powered investigative tool named Katalyst to strengthen the country’s ability to detect and investigate online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The system was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control and the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement (UPSCALE) Programme, funded by the British High Commission.
The launch event in Islamabad was attended by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, and NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali. Chaudhry emphasized that protecting children online is a national responsibility and highlighted the government’s commitment to modernizing law enforcement using artificial intelligence.
NCCIA’s Director General said Katalyst would drastically increase the agency’s ability to review referrals from the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), expanding from 1,200 cases to over 100,000 per month. Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), stressed a “whole-of-government” approach, working with social media platforms, public awareness campaigns, and national policies to curb online child abuse.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott described Katalyst as an example of AI “used for good” and reaffirmed UK-Pakistan collaboration to make the digital space safer for children.
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