The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 4 million SIM cards in the last six months.
This was disclosed by the PTA chairman in the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad.
The PTA chairman highlighted that PTA oversees 2,000 licensees across various sectors, serving 191 million mobile users and 127 million broadband subscribers. The authority has blocked 4 million SIM cards in the last six months due to various reasons, he added.
Fiberization challenges were acknowledged, and the PTA chairman emphasized the need for easing fiberization processes to address ongoing difficulties the PTA is facing.
Committee member Senator Mushtaq Ahmed brought attention to crucial areas such as cybersecurity, unlawful content on social media, individual privacy, and consumer rights. The chair sought recommendations for addressing issues of PTA, to be submitted in written form to the committee.
The committee also engaged with officials from Naya Pakistan Housing Authority, urging them to ensure proper maintenance and transparency. The officials were assured of the committee’s support in facilitating the authority’s goals and meeting financial constraints.
The committee also discussed Kunda culture in Karachi and ways to tackle this challenge, improper billing, and taxation (on the electricity bills) issues with the Director General (DG) of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
The taxation levied on electricity bills was highlighted, and the NEPRA DG clarified the legal context of these levies. Efforts to curb malpractices in discos were proposed for future deliberations.
The meeting concluded with discussions on the public safety campaign against cylinder blasts. The officials from Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) apprised the committee about the awareness campaign. The chair emphasized the importance of public awareness and encouraged OGRA, Law Ministry, and Cabinet Division to expedite the law-making process to ensure the safety of citizens.
