There are as many as 12. Million mobile connections that do not exist anymore (are blocked) since the launch of the new “SIM Information System 668” two weeks ago, reported Daily Time quoting high official from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
Subsequently, the data of around 0.813 million subscribers has been rectified by the relevant mobile phone companies as the customers became aware of new process, paper said while nearly 5 million subscribers have sought verification from the authority so far.
PTA officials said that number of blocking of SIM could increase further as the millions of remaining customers will check their SIMs information against their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC).
All these facts may lead us to a lot lower number of cellular users in Pakistan in coming months. It merits mentioning here that PTA has not shared latest cellular subscribers’ stats for last three months now.
Another question of cellular companies’ incompliance with rules and regulations arises – under what circumstances they registered so many SIMs to fake CNICs in first place, and who is going to charge cellular companies to such an offense, apparently not PTA, as PTA itself is guilty of not eyeing the cellular companies and was apparently entertaining them by giving a free hand to whatever celcos wanted to do.
It maybe recalled that franchisers used to duplicate CNIC’s copies to fill the formality of sold or even un-sold SIMs, to meet their targets. There are conspiracies that cellular companies used to advise their resellers, distributors to sell as many SIMs as they can and actually encouraging them to fill fake information. It is considered that cellular companies did so to boost their customers’ numbers and ultimately the stock value.
This artificial growth in number of cellular subscribers is key reason for falling ARPU of cellular companies in Pakistan, which is otherwise almost double of what it is reflected in balance sheets right now.
It is yet to identify if cellular companies should be charged under cyber crime law, may be identity theft, or Telecom Act of Pakistan.
thanx good… no sim illegal sim issued against my nic….but pta must check it regulary …because many of us ll not check 668 again…therefore sim issued method should more improve..
A bit off-topic,what’s the current penalty for someone who is selling pre-activated im?
22 extra sims registered against my dad’s nic. I blocked them all.
Let me answer this question..
In My opinion PTA is da one who should be blamed for dis..
In Month of March dis year.PTA issued warning to telcos that all the sims which are not on any name should be put on name of customers asap.
Instead PTA should have blocked dose sims on da spot rather then forcing to put dem on name.
Now what we franchisees and telcos did was to gather as many fake ID card as we could and start putting da unnamed sims on fake ID’s. We were forced to do this.
If those sims were blocked at that time . aaj itna fuss na hota :(
Pta surely didn’t wanted telcos and franchises to register sim on fake id’s.
If anyone did it it was their fault not pta’s.
i got to 8 Connections found in Mobilink ,
I need to block them all , i have to visit some franchise tomorrow for this activity
It’ll be wrong to say that Telecoms registered SIMs on fake CNIC. Actually the pre-activated SIMs weren’t a good idea and PTA shouldn’t have allowed it. Pre-activated SIMs were sold in shops, franchises and every where ,those people didn’t care about the accuracy of the information.
The new rule is good where Telecoms can’t issue a SIM without person personally present with original CNIC. Moreover, additional verification that is being done through 789 is another good way to ensure accuracy of information.
Although this isn’t good for visitors, but then one can’t eliminate good processes for any one.
This would help to decrease the amount of illegal sims. If it remain active.
My point is this, who ever is responsible, should be punished n public must be informed about it.
Secondly, blocking the SIMs is not the complete solution of the DANGEROUS ISSUE bcoz who ever used that SIM might have used it in any illegale activities. What if someone hase use the SIM issued on your name in TERRORISM…?
Govt and Courts should take action on it and make sure that non-of-the-citizen faced any problem with any forces of Pakistan. These Telecos and PTA should be directly and fully responsible on it and what ever come after it.
well this was the great service till now, i was shocked when i witnessed 17 sims registered on my CNIC,i hurry to customer center but shocked to c the long queue,people were really very worried as representatives are some time harsh to them as they also have heavy burden,well along with this facility PTA must manage as the general public should not be in trouble
Also check your old NIC number; when I checked, it was found that 6 unauthorized numbers were registered against it.
My question is:
Why mobile companies are not providing the SIM #s issued on one’s CNIC? Why PTA is silent about it and not instructing these companies to provide this information when asked by the original CNIC holder? Once CNIC holder gets this info, then he can check his list and decide which SIMs are rightly issued and which are wrongly issued.
There may be instance that we may have got a SIM issued on our CNIC for our brother,sister or close relative and now forgot about it. So at this time when we get the list of SIMs issued against our CNIC, we can ask our relativea to get the SIM transferred in his/her name instead of getting it blocked. So if we block all the SIMs we may be blocking the SIMs rightly issued on our CNIC.
So the mobile companies should be bound by PTA to provide list of SIMs issued on one’s CNIC (only to the holder of original CNIC)
Any procedure for someone who is abroad to block the sims on his name ? I am out of pakistan since 2 years and just found out from 668 service that there are 20 sims against my CNIC :S
hi
U all people plz did nt rely on PTA information only u all should visit the offices of all cellular companies and chek it out. On my id card 15 illegal sims r issued and when i went all companies offices there r 25 illegal sims issued against my id.So plz dont rely on PTA’s record only chek it out by ur self personaly thank u
this is very good news.
crimes have been much more.
PTA is very good service.