FPCCI urges govt to block illegal SIMs | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

FPCCI urges govt to block illegal SIMs

Pakistan Press Foundation

KARACHI: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Monday urged the government to devise a mechanism for blocking illegal mobile SIMs.

In a statement, FPCCI President Zakaria Usman said that illegal arms and SIM cards were the weapons used for creating a law and order situation in the country.

“The government should devise a mechanism and pursue the officials of mobile phone companies to block illegal SIMs,” the statement quoted Usman.

The misuse of illegal SIMs is deeply linked to crime and militancy in Pakistan, he added.

On Saturday, Inspector General Police Sindh Iqbal Mehmood visited the FPCCI and urged the business community to use their influence for blocking all old illegal SIMs.

The IGP had also claimed that crime rate would decline 50 percent is the illegal SIMs were blocked.

“Law enforcement agencies including police and Rangers have been demanding to block these SIMs since 2002,” Usman said.

He further said that most of the serious crimes, including kidnapping for ransom, target killings and extortion were being committed with the help of illegal SIMs.

The business community is the direct stakeholder as it is often targeted by the criminals for extortion and ransom.

“If the federal and provincial governments are sincere to control the law and order situation, they have to get more serious and revamp the PTA which can force the companies to block every SIM that cannot be traced to a specific individual,” the FPCCI president said.

He said that a favourable environment plays an important role in investment and industrialisation.

“Karachi’s law and order situation is improving as compared to the past, for which Rangers and Police have played an important role, even sacrificing their lives.”

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