PTA to block illegal SIMs by month’s end

[LRE]

PTA to block illegal SIMs by month’s end

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will block all mobile phone Subscriber Identity Module (SIMs) that have been issued illegally by the end of July, said Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Talha Mahmood on Wednesday. He told reporters that comprehensive online verification of the mobile phone SIMs should be ensured and companies found violating PTA rules would be penalised with either a fine up to Rs 350 million or cancellation of licences. Mahmood said the standing committee would not extend the deadline for the completion of verification process of unregistered SIMs issued before April 30. “We have asked the PTA to start procedural action against the mobile companies if they fail to deactivate the unauthorised SIMs,” he said. The move aims to ensure that SIMs are not issued on fake documents and that the registration procedure, as laid out in PTA rules, is complied with. staff report

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