Results of SIM verification system shock subscribers

[Naveed Yaseen]

* PTA admits people facing inconvenience because authority does not have upgraded data

By Umair Aziz

LAHORE: The SIM information system recently introduced by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to facilitate customers is causing a lot of inconvenience for mobile telephone users.

The new service allows customers to SMS their computerised national identity card (CNIC) numbers to 668 and receive information on the number of SIMs issued against their name.

However, many customers told Daily Times that the new practice had resulted in several problems for subscribers. “I am using only two SIMs, but when I sent the SMS to check SIM ownership, 84 SIMs of different mobile networks were revealed to have been issued against my ID card,” a customer told Daily Times.

He said it raised doubts about the credibility of private mobile companies, which had been issuing new SIMs without verifying original CNICs of customers.

Another customer said he came to know through the 668 service that two SIMs of another network had been issued against his name, while his cellular network was not mentioned. He said he had confirmed his ownership from his cellular provider’s franchise, but the PTA data did not mention it. Another customer said he had informed the mobile company that he had lost his SIM, but his connection was still working. “Police would hold me responsible if my number is misused,” he added.

Since the mobile companies have centralised their systems, the people have to go to the head offices of private mobile companies to register or cancel a connection issued against their name. This has caused a lot of rush at the offices of private mobile companies, with hundreds of customers queuing up for hours to cancel the SIMs issued against their CNICs.

The citizens complained that it was a sheer waste of time. They said although the step enabled them to know for the first time how many SIMs had been issued against their names, a proper system should be devised in this regard instead of troubling the people. A source in a private mobile company told Daily times that the PTA has not updated its data and it would take almost 45 days to streamline the system. He said many customers have been coming up with different complaints regarding SIM ownership. He said the PTA and mobile companies were trying to facilitate the people.

Upgraded data: PTA Press Relation Officer Khurram Mehran said the people were facing inconvenience because the data available with the PTA had not been updated after January 31, adding the ownership record would be upgraded soon. He said the people and the franchises of cellular companies were equally responsible for such misuse of people’s CNICs. However, he said the PTA would strive to remove all the loopholes which were troubling the mobile telephone users.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_14