Pakistan, April 23 -- Pakistan has transformed the Cybercrime Wing of its Federal Investigation (FIA) into an autonomous organization and named the new as the National Cybercrime Investigation (NCCIA), the FIA said on Tuesday, amid digital crackdown concerns in the South Asian country.

The development comes months after Pakistan introduced a new law to regulate social media content, with journalist groups and rights activists saying it is aimed at curbing press freedom and dissent on social media.

Enacted in 2016 and further tightened with amendments this January, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was drafted with the stated aim to combat cybercrimes such as hacking, online harassment, and data breaches.

In its statement o...