No BlackBerry services for foreign diplomats?

Operators told to block BlackBerry connections of foreign missions.

KARACHI:

Pakistani authorities have asked mobile telephone operators to stop BlackBerry services to foreign missions in the country amid concern about the security of communications, industry sources said on Monday.

Two industry officials confirmed that the regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), had asked them to stop all BlackBerry services to foreign missions.

“I can confirm that PTA has asked us to stop all BlackBerry services to foreign embassies and high commissions,” a senior official at a mobile company, who declined to be identified, told a news agency. Another industry official also confirmed receiving the instructions.

“There are some other issues as well, mostly relating to BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server), which we are trying to resolve in consultation with the PTA,” he said. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been buffeted by demands for access to its encrypted data from several countries.

Pakistani industry and government officials say that the government had never allowed BlackBerry services to foreign missions and inbound roamers when the services were launched in Pakistan in 2005.

The government also initially banned the more secure BES services in Pakistan.

However, the instructions have since been flouted by all five Pakistani mobile operators. It was not clear why the government allowed them to do so or why it was acting now to enforce the restrictions.

An industry source said that the government had asked all operators in the country to enforce the restrictions. “The most critical issue is the provision of BlackBerry services to foreign embassies, missions and high commissions,” said the source.

“All operators have now agreed to shutdown all BlackBerry connections provided to them by January 31,” he said, adding discussions would be held with the PTA to gain more time on the provision of BES to local customers as well as BlackBerry services to incoming roamers.

Watchdog’s denial: No bar on services, says PTA

Pakistan Telecommuni-cation Authority (PTA) has denied media reports which claimed that Pakistan had blocked BlackBerry services for foreign diplomats due to security issues.

Contrary to international media reports which had reported that BlackBerry services in Pakistan had been suspended, a PTA press release stated, “In fact we have contacted all five mobile operators and asked them to keep their BlackBerry services operational.”

It had been earlier reported that the PTA had asked mobile operators to stop BlackBerry services to foreign missions in the country amid concerns about the security of communications.

Chairman PTA Dr Mohammed Yaseen denied the reports and added that network companies would continue to provide BlackBerry services to foreign diplomats.

He has also urged all cellular providers to ensure that the services are continued uninterrupted.

Additional input from News Desk

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2011.