Issue of unregistered and unverified SIMs escalated yesterday when G M Chaudhry advocate submitted a writ petition in Islamabad High Court and pleaded that the telecom companies be charged as partner-in-crime in all incidents wherein non-registered SIMs are used for criminal or terror activities.
Petitioner contended that there were countless incidents when he was harassed and threatened through mobile telecommunication services, provided directly or indirectly by the mobile phone companies.
He said that mobile phone companies had failed to provide any information about any such person who committed such offence by taking the plea of secrecy and confidentiality whereas there is no concept of confidentiality or secrecy in the telecommunication laws about name and address of any user.
Petitioner contended before the court that the crime rate has been manifold due to availability of non-registered SIMs as the telecom companies provide easy communication and mobility to criminal elements.
Criminals are keeping multiple SIMs to contact their intending victims that is resulting in the incidents like extortion, kidnapping, abduction and other criminal activities. It was also contended that the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the concerned telecom companies be charged as abettors in all criminal incidents wherein non-registered SIMS were used for commission of offence.
While accepting the petition for hearing, Chief Justice (CJ) Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi issued notices to the secretary ministry of information technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), ministry of interior through its secretary, chief executives of the all telecommunication companies and inspector general Islamabad police seeking their reply over the concerns raised by the petitioner.
IHC CJ directed the respondents to submit reply within 10 days time.
Its about time. Either the use of these unregistered SIMMS should be blocked on the expense of TELCOS or else these money hungry CEOs should charged and held accountable for creating such a MESS in our society.
It is the primary responsibility of PTA to make policies and procedures and also to get them implemented strictly.
PTA and TELCOS both are responsible, former being Primary AGREED.
PTA by LAW should have regulated the whole mechanism but didn’t, so typical of any BUREAUCRATIC institution, that does not mean TELCOS do not have any MORAL or ETHICAL obligations towards society and are free to spread their SIMMS like virus without any proper verification after all it were TELCOS who let their SIMMS made available on local pawn shops and street Karyana stores all in the name of “INCREASING SALES”
Stunt…
Crime kahan nahi hai?
What about publishing Mobile phone directory or providing the data online to public? What are the possible pros and cons?
Where does the Individual responsibility comes in here? or When It will? as a society we’ve been corrupted to core of our blood cell. God Bless those who aren’t.