A problem of old: Govt asked to enact laws to curb illegal use of SIMs

IGP says criminals and terrorists use fake SIMs to carry out their activities.

PESHAWAR: IGP Nasir Khan Durrani has requested the federal and provincial government to enact stringent laws in order to curtail the use of illegal and fake SIMs by criminal and terrorist elements in the country.

Unregistered SIMs issued under fake names are one of the main instruments used by terrorists and criminals operating across the country. Investigation into a number of cases has revealed terrorists use these SIMs to plot attacks, making it difficult for law-enforcement agencies to track them down.



Recently, K-P police undertook an exercise to verify mobile SIMs used by terrorists and extortionists operating in the province. The exercise revealed all terrorists and extortionists are using SIMs which are either unregistered or issued under fake identities.

Although the federal government has made biometric verification a prerequisite for issuing new SIMs and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has also launched a campaign for their verification, terrorists and criminals continue to use them with impunity.



The illegal use of SIMs is not an offence but a violation under the PTA Act 1996. PTA authorities can only issue an explanation or show-cause notice to the service provider/franchise issuing such SIMs. The existing regulatory regime is not sufficient to handle such a situation.

Therefore, the K-P police has requested both the provincial and central government that possession of illegal/fake SIMs and issuance without due verification by service providers/franchise be made a cognizable offence with the police and Federal Investigation Agency having concurrent jurisdiction.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2014.