Top PPP ministers’ SIMs unverified
Jawwad Rizvi
LAHORE: Top PPP ministers Rehman Malik, Firdous Ashiq, Ahmed Mukhtar and Manzoor Wattoo are using unverified SIMs while the PTA launched third phase of SIM verification on Rehman Malik’s request.
Rehman Malik’s number 03005559*** was issued to the ministry of interior while Firdous Ashiq Awan 03008511*** was issued to the ministry of population welfare, Ahmed Mukthar’s 03008467*** was issued to Amjad Hussain with CNIC 3540141062*** and Manzoor Wattoo’s number 03008419*** to AJ Communications.
Sources in telecom industry revealed that there was a list of such numbers under use of cabinet members and leading politicians but are unverified and not issued to their names. However, commerce minister Amin Fahim number 03009221*** was issued to his name with CNIC 4230183689*** but the status was suspended.
According to a letter No 15-9/2010/Enf/PTA issued by PTA dated July 30, 2010, with subject “Issuance of bulk data SIMs to specified corporate customers” asked the cellular companies to provide user data including CNIC details of every individuals using the data SIMs. The letter stated that “procedure for issuance and activations of SIMs/connections to corporate customers has been made comprehensive by having control and checks on documentation for the corporate customers in regard to prepaid/postpaid and data SIMs. The company is bound to provide details/documents including CNIC of each individual.”
The SIM would be issued on company name i.e. on title name would become company name while user data including CNIC and other details would also be provided and if the same SIM would be issued to someone else, the company would be bound to update the user data of new users.
The News attempted many times to get version of PTA Chairman Dr Yasin but he did not attend the phone call, while to the SMS he replied, “PTA will issue press release on 18th morning”. Similarly, PTA spokesman Khuram Mehran shows his inability to speak on the issue.
On PTA’s direction, cellular mobile operators have been verifying SIMs of their subscribers till May 17 (today). The PTA made it clear that after the date, all the unregistered and unverified SIMs will be blocked.
According to sources in telecom industry, Interior Minister Rehman Malik is responsible for another exercise of cellphone verification on the complaints that unverified and unregistered SIMs are being used in criminal and militant activities. The PTA also has to clear the ambiguity about Malik’s statement that one connection of one operator should be allowed.
The sources said that The PTA’s yet another attempt to deal with unregistered and unverified SIMs is heading towards failure as only 400,000 subscribers are getting their numbers verified with their respective operators every day.
According to a source in telecom industry, insignificant number of subscribers has been getting their numbers verified through SIM information system 668 since the authority’s direction is made. The PTA claims that the total number of mobile phone subscribers has cross over 100 million-mark with a growth of 5.1 per cent this year.
Interestingly, since the cellular companies are not asked to provide details of ‘inactive subscribers’ to PTA, the subscribers’ base seems to be inflated. “We cannot confirm the exact number of mobile phone penetration unless someone either the PTA or else starts maintaining the data of multiple-SIMs,” an official of a leading operator said.
Under the rules, a cellular operator can issue 10 SIMs to a subscriber having a CNIC. There are five operators in the country. Earlier, similar exercise was carried out on the direction of Senator Talha Mahmood and Rehman Malik but the purpose could not be achieved ‘completely’. However, the PTA claims during two phases of the campaign against unnamed and unregistered SIMs, it had blocked 16.3 million unregistered SIMs. However, it did not issue the figure.
After introduction of “789 SIM activation system” in February 2009, only non-activated SIMs are available in the market. The PTA says 3.8 million SIM activation requests have so far been rejected on the basis of incorrect information.
Source: The News
Date:5/17/2011
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