Phone companies not checking illegal sim cards properly: Malik | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Phone companies not checking illegal sim cards properly: Malik

Shakeel Anjum

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Tuesday that it was alarming that the use of unauthorised sim cards was not being addressed properly by cellular companies.

Addressing a meeting of heads of cellular companies at the Interior Ministry, he said criminals and terrorists used such sim cards for their ulterior motives. “A lot of unbranded cell phones with same IMEI numbers are available in the market. Such cell phones cannot be traced and there is a need to stop sale of mobile phone sets with same IMEI numbers,” he added.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik gave strict directions that with immediate effect, no sim card should be given to buyer on the spot, rather it would be posted to buyer’s residential address after necessary verification from Nadra.

The meeting was also attended by the interior secretary, PTA chairman, provincial home secretaries, Islamabad chief commissioner, Islamabad IGP and representatives of intelligence agencies and FIA.

Interior Ministry sources said it was decided in the meeting that all prepaid sim cards should be verified within 30 days. “Sim cards with IMEI numbers are needed to be synchronised with the help of service providers and Nadra. Service providers will send details of tempered numbers through SMS to the consumer,” the sources added.

The minister asked all service providers to identify all those consumers holding cell phone sets with duplicate/multiple IMEI against one SIM within 10 days and inform the consumer accordingly. “All cellular companies will ask their customers to re-verify their IDs/SIM cards again and nobody will be able to import mobile phones without authorisation of PTA.”
Source: The News
Date:4/20/2011