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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has discontinued roaming facilities on Afghan Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) in Pakistan, in an effort to block anti-state and criminal activities of terrorists, on a directive issued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The directive was issued on the request of law enforcement agencies, which informed the government that Afghan SIMs were being openly used inside tribal areas in Pakistan by terrorists and criminal elements.
Sources told Dawn.com that the PM desired that the task be completed in the next few days.
The move would be a step towards halting communication among terrorists and would also help in reducing crimes related to kidnapping for ransom in tribal areas.
Also read: PTA ordered to curtail use of Afghan SIMs
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (22) Closed
Jun 21, 2014 02:11pm
Good decision!!!
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Jun 21, 2014 02:26pm
Excellent !!!!
Now the crimes rate will be come down.
Thanks PTA.
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Jun 21, 2014 02:28pm
This should have been done a long time ago...
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Jun 21, 2014 02:29pm
Why is this decision taken so late?
This should have been done years ago!
Unbelievable.
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Jun 21, 2014 02:34pm
Very late decision,but "better late than never" applies here, do what ever possible to assist our valiant Armed Forces to wipe out this menace of Terrorism and let Pakistan breathe in peace.
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Jun 21, 2014 02:45pm
NOT ONLY SIM BUT ALSO THE PHONE PURCHASED OUTSIDE PAKISTAN must be registered too .. it will help to circumvent . it will be inconvientant for a while -- but the price we need to pay to stay safe and make these savages useless and their tactics...
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Jun 21, 2014 02:49pm
Halting roaming facility is not the solution of the problem even they block the roaming facility there is still alternates available to do criminal activities..
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Jun 21, 2014 02:54pm
A wise decision which should have been adopted a long time ago. When is PTA going to slash rates on incoming overseas calls?
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Jun 21, 2014 03:07pm
About time! Just like the wild west up there!!
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Jun 21, 2014 03:47pm
Late and very late and too after one year, but better to be late than never......
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Jun 21, 2014 05:09pm
Good step.
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Jun 21, 2014 06:07pm
Better late then never. Goes to show how Afghanistan has become the hub of all anti-Pakistan elements since the fall of the country in the hands of extra regional forces.
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Jun 21, 2014 06:23pm
Thank you in the larger interest of Pakistan please send back Afghan refugees and seal the border. Pakistan first.
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Jun 21, 2014 07:08pm
Good Decision thumbs up
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Jun 21, 2014 07:25pm
This decision should have been taken earlier. At least, they did it.
Next Step should be to Register the Mobile and Sim sellers especially in tribal
areas. Ban the sale of unauthorized Mobile Sim and Mobile phones.
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Jun 21, 2014 08:19pm
Good move,though should have been done before.
Anyway it seems govt has real intention to control terrorism
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Jun 21, 2014 09:27pm
Just browsing over Dawn, it appears that this was ordered by court earlier.
This is a classic example of weak regulation.
Lack of mobile operators' oversight has resulted in troubles of giant proportions, and its too late.
What needs to be asked is how effective regulations in general in Pakistan are?
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Jun 21, 2014 09:52pm
Etisalat of UAE is the major cellular / phone operator in Afghanistan.
Etisalat also owns 26% of PTCL and has management control over it. Not sure, but I believe Etisalat also owns 100% of Ufone mobile in Pakistan. All this thanks to the benevolence of one Purvez Musharraf.
Given the threat to Etisalat's bottom line and the fact that UAE is second home to Musharraf, the PPP, PML-Q and MQM hierarchy; should explain the long, long delay in closing such an obvious security loophole.
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Jun 21, 2014 11:41pm
This is long over-due. This should have been done a long time ago.
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Jun 22, 2014 01:24am
People selling foreign sims in Pakistan should be put behind bars and they should face trial based on treason .
Even the local sims and mobile should be sold throght registered seller.
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Jun 22, 2014 05:08am
Typical of this Nawaz government, TOO LITTLE TOO LATE.
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Jun 22, 2014 07:22am
about time!
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