Senate body asks PTA to get through on mobile companies
By Asghar Ali

ISLAMABAD—While expressing its serious concern over large-scale proliferation of unauthorized mobile SIMs in the country and their alleged links to crime, the senate sub-committee on Interior, which met at the Parliament House on Friday with the Senator Gulshan Saeed in the chair, directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to get its regulations strictly implemented by the mobile phone companies.
The sub-committee also directed that SIM be issued without a valid copy of CNIC duly verified from NADRA and to verify/regulate the SIMs issued earlier in a phased manner during a certain period after which the unauthorized SIMs must be blocked.
The Committee also took cognizance of virtual lack of control of the PTA over cellular mobile phone companies and their franchises. It also took cognizance of the lack of interest exhibited by the Chairman PTA as reflected by his non-attendance of the meeting despite categorical request made to him to attend the meeting convened with the view to formulate measures for streamlining the system and the members expressed the view that chairman may be replaced.
The sub-committee took strong exception to the absence of representatives of PTA and mobile phone companies from the meeting despite prior notice and categorical instructions and asked the Minister of IT and Telecom Division to take stock of the situation. During the meeting, it was observed that implementation of regulations at the gross-root level is not possible without the help of law enforcing agencies (LEA) and the provincial governments, therefore, it is recommended that the provincial governments be given power of execution the PTA since law and order is a provincial subject. It was also emphasized that breaking nexus between the unscrupulous mobile user and crime is most vital for improving the over all law and order situation in the country. The meeting strongly recommends proper documentation of all mobile users and sale of SIMs through a verifiable and foolproof system.
The meeting also took a serious notice of the promotional ads being run by the mobile companies on the print and electronic media and expressed the view that most of these ads are not in conformity with our social, moral, ethical and religious values “Corporatization of culture ust be resisted in the large interest of society and social harmony”, it is observed.
The meeting asked the PTA, Ministry of IT and I&B to monitor the advertisements and stop screening of unethical ones, which are spoiling the younger generation. The code of conduct with regard to advertisements must be followed in letter and spirit. Revenues are important but so are morals, observed the member of the meeting.
The members of the Committee said that even Parliamentarians are not issued SIMs by the SAARC countries without verification of their data from their respective embassies and high commissions and that SIMs were valid only for the period of the conference. The meeting was attended by Senators Rehmatullah Kakar and Mrs. Tahira Latif besides senior officials of the Ministry of Interior and ICT administration.