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Pakistan Regulatory Compliance

Pakistan Cybersecurity Compliance Services

Pakistan does not have one cybersecurity regulator — it has a patchwork of sectoral authorities, apex bodies, and named frameworks, most enforced and some still drafted. Mutex Systems mapped every regulator with real cyber jurisdiction across nine industry verticals, so you know exactly who oversees you, what they actually require, and where your business stands.

Mutex Systems is a PTA-Approved Cyber Security Auditor with an active nCERT (PKCERT) audit-firm application in progress — direct regulatory relationships, not a theoretical reading of the framework text.

26
Regulators Mapped
10
Cyber Frameworks
9
Industry Verticals
2
Active Registrations
Named Instruments

Ten Cybersecurity Frameworks Published in Pakistan

Filtered to instruments classified specifically as cybersecurity frameworks or regulations — excludes cloud-only, AI-only, and pure data-privacy instruments.

National Cyber Security Policy 2021 (NCSP 2021)

MoITT

National cyber-governance structure, risk-based approach, incident-response coordination

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

Pakistan Information Security Framework (PISF) 2026

nCERT (PKCERT) / Federal Cabinet

238 mandatory controls across 13 documents — governance, risk, incident response, secure SDLC

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

CERT Rules 2023

MoITT / nCERT

Legal foundation empowering nCERT and the PISF, plus CII designation authority

Published & EnforcedSource

Critical Telecom Data and Infrastructure Security Regulations (CTDISR-2025)

PTA

Zero-trust model, mandatory MFA, data localisation, cloud-security domain, nTSOC integration

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

Cyber Security Strategy for Telecom Sector 2023-2028

PTA

5-year sector roadmap for cyber maturity, capacity-building, and coordination goals

Published (strategic, non-binding)Source

PTA Cyber Security Audit Firm Registration Criteria

PTA

CAT-1 to CAT-4 firm categorisation with minimum technical-resource baselines

Published & EnforcedSource

SBP Cybersecurity Guidelines (2019)

SBP

Baseline cyber-risk governance, IT controls, and incident-response expectations

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

NEPRA Security of Information & OT Regulations 2022

NEPRA

Mandatory SOC, continuous monitoring, real-time incident reporting to PowerCERT, 5-year log retention

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

National Registration & Biometric Policy Framework v2.0

NADRA

Governs biometric/citizen-data handling; underpins the 'Ijazat Aapki' consent service

Full compliance guide
Published & EnforcedSource

Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA)

Parliament / Ministry of Interior

Criminalises unauthorised access, data breaches, and cybercrime — Pakistan's de facto data-protection law pending the PDPB

Published & EnforcedSource
Compliance, Continuously

Every Framework on This Page Is Already Loaded Into grComply

grComply is Mutex Systems' own GRC automation platform — a multi-tenant system that turns Pakistan's fragmented framework landscape into one live, continuously-updated system of record instead of a folder tree rebuilt before every audit.

FAQs

Common Questions About Pakistan Cybersecurity Compliance

Which regulator oversees cybersecurity compliance in Pakistan?

There is no single cybersecurity regulator in Pakistan — oversight is split across sector-specific regulators and one apex cross-cutting authority. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) regulates telecom and CTDISR-2025; the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulates banking and fintech; NEPRA regulates power; NADRA governs biometric and citizen data; and nCERT (PKCERT) acts as the apex national authority coordinating all sectoral CERTs and administering the Pakistan Information Security Framework (PISF) 2026. Which regulator applies to you depends on your industry vertical.

What is the Pakistan Information Security Framework (PISF) 2026?

PISF 2026 is a Cabinet-approved cybersecurity framework issued by nCERT (PKCERT), comprising 238 mandatory controls across 13 documents. It sets the security baseline for federal and provincial government bodies, sectoral CERTs, and any entity formally designated as Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) — the single largest compliance surface identified across Pakistan's entire regulatory landscape.

Is Mutex Systems a registered cybersecurity audit firm in Pakistan?

Yes. Mutex Systems is a PTA-Approved Cyber Security Auditor under the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's CAT-1 to CAT-4 registration regime, and has an active audit-firm application in progress with nCERT (PKCERT) under its CAT-I to CAT-IV cross-sector registration, open since February 2025.

Is the Personal Data Protection Bill already law in Pakistan?

No. The Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 (PDPB) remains pending in Parliament as of 2026 — it is drafted and has Cabinet approval-in-principle, but has not been enacted. Until it passes, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) functions as Pakistan's de facto data-protection and cybercrime enforcement law.

Which Pakistani regulators have a formal cybersecurity audit-firm registration process?

Two: the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), running CAT-1 to CAT-4 registration since 2023 under CTDISR, and nCERT (PKCERT), running CAT-I to CAT-IV registration since February 2025 as the main cross-sector path outside telecom. SBP, NEPRA, NADRA, and most other sector regulators have not yet formalised an equivalent audit-firm panel — representing open empanelment opportunities for firms with genuine sector capability.

How does grComply relate to Pakistan's regulatory frameworks?

grComply is Mutex Systems' own GRC automation platform. Every named Pakistani framework covered on this page — PISF 2026, CTDISR-2025, the SBP guidelines, NEPRA's IT/OT regulations, and more — is loaded into grComply as a versioned framework and control library, so evidence collection, scanning, and reporting run continuously instead of being reconstructed by hand before each audit.

Let's Talk

Find Out Exactly Who Regulates You — and Where You Stand

Send us your industry vertical and current posture. Within two working days you will receive a written response mapping your actual regulatory obligations and a proposed scoping call.

No commitment requiredResponse within 2 working daysConfidential brief handling