Blocked: PHC disposes of two petitions against unverified SIMs

PTA has already taken necessary steps, says CJ Miankhel

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court disposed of two petitions seeking to regularise the procedure of issuing SIM cards across the country after it learnt necessary steps have already been taken.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan disposed a writ petition and a contempt of court petition filed by Muhammad Atif Khalim on Thursday.

Khalim’s counsel Asghar Khan Kundi told the court the petition raised several questions in connection with the issuance of SIMs by Pakistani service providers, the status of Afghan SIMs and the non-payment of taxes by operating cellular phone companies. Kundi said a Senate report stated the national exchequer suffered losses worth millions of dollars due to the said non-payment.

During the course of hearing, the bench learnt that Afghan SIM cards have been blocked and do not function within Pakistani territory any more.

CJ Miankhel told Kundi that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has already taken the necessary steps to address the problem of SIMs being issued without due process, hence the purpose of the petition stands served.

The bench remarked if the petitioner has any reservations over the amount of tax paid by cellular phone companies, then he should simply file an application with the relevant authorities.

Following the deadly Army Public School attack on December 16, 2014, the federal government directed PTA to verify all SIM cards in the country through the biometric system. A few days ago, PTA Chairman Ismail Shah said all unverified SIMs were now blocked.

At a hearing on December 3, PTA had informed a bench of CJ Miankhel and Justice Afsar Shah that court orders have been implemented and the services of Afghan cellular companies have been suspended in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2015.