KARACHI: All illegal Subscriber Identity Module (SIMs) likely to be blocked in Pakistan by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in near future following the Supreme Court (SC)’s order on Thursday.
SC has called all stakeholders for presenting the strategies regarding blockage of the unlawful SIMs before the apex court.
Four-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry passed this order while hearing Karachi law and order case on Thursday.
The court said has directed the authorities to ensure implementation of the law regarding issuance of five sims on single ID card, adding that illegal sims are creating hurdles in police investigation and facilitating the culprits.
Court said in order that all sims should be closed who have been soled from shops and stalls and registration of sims should be ensured through Nadra. The business of sims should be done but not on the price of state soverignit, CJ added.
Additional IG Karachi presented a Chinese machine and informed the court that illegal sims are being activated through this machine and being used by the criminal. These sims are being activated through voter lists.
Meanwhile Chairman FBR also appeared before the court and presented a report regarding checking of Nato containers by the custom officials.
Chairman PTA appeared before the court and informed the court that a bio-matric system has been prepared and being started from Karachi by December 2013. He said that illegal foreign sims are giving business to PTA.
Whether these sims are giving the business on the price of law and order, Justice Ameer Hani Muslim inquired from Chairman PTA, but he failed to respond the question.
Chairman PTA assured the court that fool proof system is being evolved, so that the use of illegal sims should banned, adding that more than five sims would not be issued on one identity card.
Replying to the court quarries Chairman PTA informed that about 1.25 million illegal sims are activated in the country.
Additional IG Karachi Shahid Hayat presented a Chinese machine and informed the court that illegal sims are being activated through this machine and being used by the criminal. Government blocks sims but sims are being activated through voter lists using the machine.
Shahid Hayat said that police have recovered the 3080 sims during the targeted operation in various areas of the Karachi, adding that 50% crime can be controlled through blocking illegal sims. Chief Justice observed that illegal sims are major cause of crimes in Karachi.
(Image courtesy: Tribune)
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