ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched Katalyst, an artificial intelligence–enabled investigative system, marking a major step in strengthening the country’s response to online child sexual exploitation by enhancing detection, prioritisation, and investigation of digital abuse cases, officials said at a ceremony in the capital earlier this week.
Developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control and the UK‑Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement (UPSCALE) Programme, and funded by the British High Commission, Katalyst is expected to dramatically enhance the capabilities of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in handling the surge of online child exploitation cases.
At the recent launch event, attended by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, and NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali, officials emphasised that protecting children online is a shared national and global responsibility.
Minister Chaudhry described safeguarding minors from digital predation as a “national responsibility” and said the adoption of artificial intelligence reflected Pakistan’s commitment to modernising law enforcement and bringing perpetrators to justice.
The tool will significantly boost NCCIA’s ability to process referrals from the US‑based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) — increasing monthly case reviews from around 1,200 to more than 100,000 — a capability officials said was previously unachievable with traditional methods.
Child rights advocates and officials also stressed the importance of coordinated action across government agencies, social media firms, and civil society to tackle online abuse comprehensively.
The Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), Ayesha Raza Farooq, called for a “whole‑of‑government” response that includes public awareness campaigns and a national strategy to address online exploitation.
British High Commissioner Marriott underscored that online child abuse remains a global challenge, transcending borders, and said initiatives like Katalyst demonstrate how AI can be “used for good.”
She reaffirmed the UK’s continued cooperation with Pakistan to disrupt criminal networks and make digital environments safer for children worldwide.
The deployment of Katalyst comes amid broader concerns over child safety online and in Pakistan’s communities.
Recent investigations by the NCCIA have exposed major child abuse networks and led to the recovery of hundreds of exploitative videos, while advocacy groups have documented a significant rise in reported child abuse cases nationally, underscoring the urgency of enhanced protection mechanisms.
Authorities say the system will not only strengthen legal action against offenders but also improve preventive monitoring and cross‑border cooperation — key elements in the fight against online child exploitation in an increasingly digital world.
