The official digital voice of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission (KPHCC), a Facebook page boasting over 41,000 engaged followers, suddenly fell silent, then became something far worse. For the past two days, the Commission has been locked out, confirming their page was brutally hacked.
This incident immediately raises serious alarms about the digital defenses protecting key Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government institutions in the region.
Shockingly, the hackers did not just seize control; they launched an immediate attack on the page’s identity. All official KPHCC content vanished, only to be replaced with disturbing, inappropriate images. Consequently, this malicious act has caused widespread concern and confusion among the thousands of citizens relying on the page for vital health information. The swiftness and nature of the breach expose a vulnerability no public body can afford.
Immediately following the discovery, authorities submitted a formal complaint to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing. Officials are now pursuing legal action and aggressively working toward recovery. However, the path back remains complex. Significantly, a direct agreement between Pakistan and Meta (Facebook’s parent company) does not currently exist, making the recovery process inherently difficult and time-consuming.
Despite this hurdle, the FIA has assured the department that its top priority is either restoring the original page or ensuring its permanent removal to halt any further damage or misuse.
Meanwhile, the KPHCC urgently warns the public: completely ignore all content currently shared from the compromised page until official notice is given. Therefore, everyone must remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity linked to the hacked account.
This digital crisis underscores the critical need for heightened cyber security across all government platforms.
