ISLAMABAD: The government has no intention of immediately blocking unregistered SIMs as this will cause inconvenience to users and will have a negative impact on revenue, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Thursday.
In an exclusive interview to the Radio Pakistan, Malik said all stakeholders will be asked to devise a strategy to deal with the problem of SIMs being issued against fake identity cards or to a person other than the supposed user.
Malik said that SIMs should be verified against thumb impression of applicants in the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) database.
He added that interests of foreign investors and cellular operators will be kept in mind while addressing this issue.
“We will devise a mechanism to ensure that mobile phones are not used as tools for terrorist activities,” he vowed.
The interior minister also said that there would have been many acts of terrorism if cellular services were not suspended in parts of Pakistan on Eid.
“The government had information about possible terrorist activities and the enemies’ designs were foiled through effective coordination between intelligence and law enforcing agencies,” he said.
Sectarian killings
Commenting on the recent Shia killings in the northern areas, Malik said that it was an act of terrorism rather than a sectarian incident as those killed included both Shias and Sunnis. Malik said he also spoke to the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister about the situation in the area.
“The CM informed me about the three demands of the people - police should escort passengers, heirs of the victims should be compensated and the number of PIA flights to the region should be increased. The demands have been accepted,” he said.
Balochistan
Speaking about the state of affairs in Balochistan, the interior minister said that situation in the province has improved following his detailed briefing to the Senate which exposed involvement of a neighbouring country in Balochistan.
Malik also extended offer to estranged Baloch leaders to return to the country and talk to people of their choice.
The interior minister said the leaders should abandon their comfortable dwellings abroad and return to Balochistan if they are genuinely interested in serving the people.
COMMENTS (15)
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ET please investigate and report to the public as to how much the celluar companies (Mobilink, Telenor, Warid etc) have agreed to pay to Rehman Malik personally to keep him from shutting them down after the Rehman Malik discovered (quite by chance, thanks to Geo) that these companies have been paying lower taxes by (illegally) declaring lower than actual revenue? This is what the "terrorist" threat on chand raat was all about . . . a show of power to the cellular companies that Rehman Malik can shut their revenue down in one command. These companies lost PKR billions during that brief shut down. They can fool some of the people some of the time . . .
Dear Mr. Rehman Malik,
The precious human lives and properties of the people of Pakistan should have an edge on the revenue earned by the government of Pakistan and other stake holders who may lose the revenue to to abrupt closure of the cellular phone SIM cards.
You have witnessed yourself that when all the cell phone were jammed in Karachi, Lahore and Multan, the crimes rate had decreased drastically.
People who are using unregistered SIM cards and not using their cell phones lawfully.
In the interest of the public at large, I strongly recommend that all unregistered SIM cards should be blocked immediately and without any further delay.
Any person who will be affected with this action should go to the concerned cellular phone office with his or her original CNIC and present the same at the counter of the cell phone office for verification of his or her credential and other details.
I appreciate his step for peace and security and law and order situation in the country.Thank you.
Why CJ does not take action against his son and given stay on his case? This shows the hypocrisy of court.
@k. Salim Jahangir: Well done Malik ! Keep the nation busy.What is your next plan for the week after sim business??
Mr Malik still has to resolve the matters related to Passport scam during the Olympics ! There was lot of noise being made about taking the newspaper concerned to Courts, demanding extraditions and issuing red corner notices with Interpol ! What happened to all that BS ? Or is the case that Pakistani people have very short memories ?
Uncle Rehman Malik, whatever these skeptical guys say, I love you, for reminding us 90's time when we had no sim's and life was so simple :) Uncle, I think broadband should be replaced with dial up modems, I loved dial up modem tone when it successfully dialed my 45 kbps connection :)
That sounds like an exterior minister :)
Rehman Malik has truly disclosed the mindset that runs the government. It shows that security and protection of the people is less important than the profits of a few sharks. This should make clear to all and sundry why terrorism is not controlled in this country. Profits of a few, and personal interest of a few, are prioritised over the country’s interest and people’s security. Under this mindset, illegal armaments are not confiscated, illegal sims are allowed to continue, statements in support of terrorists and fanatics go unpunished. On the other hand, doctors and health workers who ask for higher wages are beaten up. Now this same Minister had blocked all sims for 16 hours on Eid, and had stated that the experiment turned out good for security. Blocking all illegal sims is a matter being talked about for over five years now, but action…..?
Rehman Malik should be the Inferior Minister instead of being the Interior Minister!
Inconvenient to whom? The crook, the terrorist, or the Company that is selling these devices? This coming from a guy who just got through shutting off all cell phone coverage to hundreds of thousands of people who had legitimate sim cards. Classic Malik.
We may be able to make some headway if people accept there is problem of sectarianism in Pakistan. Killing of Shias and denying all rights to minority are not going to go away unless you deal with extremism and sectarianism. Let us accept it exists and deal with it. We have become a laughing stock of international community.
please close the prepaid and unregistered mobiles immediately. Pakistan is more important than the revenue of few mobile companies.
well, if registered on someone else's id , then ? i am sure more than 50 % sims are registered on fake ids, like i did gave my copy of cnic but my number was mistakenly registered to someone else's cnic. khuda es mulk ki hifazat kray , ye government youn he khailti rehegi !
Well done Malik ! Keep the nation busy.What is your next plan for the week after sim business??