Telcos Withdraw Petition Against Ban on Night Packages, PTA Recorded Night Calls As Evidence

اسے اردو میں پڑھیے

Nigh Packages BanIslamabad High Court has reportedly dismissed a petition filed by cellular companies against ban on night packages and mobile chat services, after petitioners withdrew their request in court.

According to Dawn.com, Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid and Zong requested the court to allow them to withdraw their petition after Pakistan Telecommunication Authority submitted its reply along with some transcripts of mobile call recordings it had intercepted during late-night conversation of consumers.

This is the first time that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has publicly admitted that it recorded private mobile conversation of consumers, and ultimately made this record public by presenting it in the court.

PTA’s counsel was quoted as saying:

“PTA intercepted several conversations with obscene contents”.

Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Counsel PTA,

It merits mentioning here that mobile phone companies are bound to give federal government the access to voice call and SMS content in the interest of national security.

Federal government, according to the telecom act, can give this access to a person or an organization to intercept voice and SMS conversation for national security.

However, intercepting private conversation of night callers – who aren’t involved in a chargeable offense – doesn’t come under national security, opines a legal expert while speaking with ProPakistani. ”Making this conversation public is utmost invasion of privacy of cellular consumers”, the expert said.

Telecom companies, when asked by ProPakistani, said that this is something which comes under PTA’s responsibility to use the access to system in interest of national interest only. “Cellular companies are not responsible for regulator or government’s acts”, said an official of a telecom company.

PTA spokesperson, when contacted, asked for time to respond to our query. We will update this story when and if we get any words from PTA.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • Holy Cow!! We can’t even talk freely (without worrying) on Cell Phones now!
    PTA, Interior Ministry both are f**kin human rights (privacy) in Pakistan :-/

      • Okay. So if someone in the PTA records (or just listens in to) the phone conversations of a business owner who tells his accountant to withdraw a large amount of cash from a certain bank in order to give his employees a cash Eid bonus, then what? Do you trust the person in the PTA not to tell some criminal the time and place to attack the accountant and grab cash from him?

        Is that still “watchout”? Who is watching who and for what purpose, Jahanzib???

        You lack imagination, and sadly there are millions of Pakistanis like you.

  • Well today it is cleared that PTA records the conservation of Pakistani’s. Very dangerous, this is how agencies kidnap the people. Court should take action against this.

  • this is the most absurd and disgusting thing i have ever heard…please ban or condemn PTA for its asshole attitude..truly its a matter personal to the people talking how come they r recording it when it does not belong to any security issue…these politicians they have there own so many dirty scandals…..what if we bring them out…what is wrong with pakistan :'(

  • Shame for PTA, this is unacceptable. PTA Chairman if has some moral value left should immediately resign, and those who submitted this response in court should be fired immediately and should be put behind bars with some classes to teach them what an individual’s privacy means. I am really shocked that print and electronic media didn’t notice this reply or for them an individual’s means nothing.
    These babas who have no sense of public’s privacy have no right to sit in an agency whose prime responsibility is to protect rights of consumer which also should include privacy of consumer.
    This is also sad that our data is so easily accessible by call center agents and employees of telecos.

    • Yeah most annoying and dangerous part is access to “employees of telecos” as you said Ahmed. You now badly it can be misused in country like ours. Allah will definitely change our conditions one day, just vote for right guy next elections.

  • Now PTA is moral guardian of people of Pakistan? Also who allowed them to pray on consumers’ privacy. Who ever said whatever to whomever, PTA must have no issue with them as every one is responsible of they say/do, unless its matter of National Security.

    “Freedom of speech in public” toa door ki baat “will they now tap our private phone calls and then make them public.”

    Night packages or no night packages, people gonna talk and PTA can not, i repeat can not stop any one. Neither, they have right to do that.

    O God when mindless people will leave important administrative positions. PTA leave such childish things and do use all resources to arrange 3G or even 4G LTE auctions.

    Do some real work which will benefit us All.

    • Do these PTA idiots really think that banning any night packages will make the obscene calls end? OF COURSE THE CALLS WILL NOT STOP!

      So what will they do next?

  • This time they have entered into our conversation. Next time they will enter into our house on account of National Security. Chadar aur Char dewarii kee MB1. :(

  • This is absurd and very much illegal – PTA does not protect consumers rather embark into their privacy – any talk between two affectionate / loving persons cannot be treated against ‘country’s interest’ – Is there anyone bold enough to sue PTA for this kind of excesses.

    • is there any individual’s privacy law in Pakistan? Please guide me if any one has knowledge in this regard…

  • Ok so now we will hear a beep and teet sound when someone will talk vulgar and slang :D Imagine wrong detection of words will cause a mass breakups :P What did you said haan haan :P

    • You are praising the wrong people, my friend.

      Propakistani over the last few years has posted SEVERAL articles in favour of banning night packages. What else have they done?

      Propakistani has also posted several articles with heated comment discussions on banning porn or favouring firewalls. And how does the PTA do that?

      By
      Watching
      Our
      Internet
      Traffic.

      So the thing the PTA demonstrated with phone calls today?
      This site is in favour of the same methods to watch EVERYONE’S INTERNET TRAFFIC INSIDE THIS COUNTRY.

      If the PTA recording all calls is fascism, then this site supports fascism by inviting the PTA (in all respects but openly) to do the same with our internet traffic.

      Shame on you, Aamir. You lack the imagination to understand the powers you want to give the government. Why did not NOT ONCE agitate against the PTA?

  • i think PTA should not banned night packages due to vulgar conversation between individuals.every person has freedom of speech. and if they are keen to stop vulgarity they should stop TV channels first.

  • Totally insane.. Now, people cannot even talk to each other on mobile phones. Especially when they know there calls are being recorded no matter who they are talking to…..Shame…. I dont know what will happen with this country. May Allah help us all.

  • Its about time people shift from unencrypted calls and SMS to encrypted services like skype and whatsapp… that way this assholes wouldn’t be able to tap our phones to see ke bacha haraampaai tu nai kar rha


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