Taking notice: PTA chairman, senior officials summoned over illegal sale of SIM cards

PHC chief justice says the practice negatively affects security.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday took suo motu notice of illegal sale of mobile Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards in the country, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The court directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman, chief executives of cellular companies, K-P chief secretary, K-P advocate general, interior secretary and attorney general of Pakistan to submit a report and appear before the court.

PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan said selling illegal SIM cards results in the evasion of millions of rupees in taxes and could negatively affect the country’s security. The court could not remain silent on the issue, he added.



Justice Khan took suo motu notice while hearing a bail application filed by Nadeem Hussain, who was arrested for allegedly taking extortion money from Dr Manzoor of Swabi and threatening the latter over the phone. “Some officials of spy agencies record the personal calls of people and then these recordings are sometimes misused. PTA was responsible for all of it,” he observed.

“Any foreigner living in the country can easily buy a SIM from a shop without the required paperwork. However, any person living in other countries must go through several procedures to obtain a SIM card. Neither the PTA nor the federal government has given any attention to this issue,” said Justice Khan.

The court later ordered PHC additional registrar to maintain a separate file for the case and adjourned the session till the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2013.