ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday decided to implement from January 31 a system for activation of new Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) after verification of customers’ details.

This decision was taken unanimously in a meeting of mobile companies’ chief executive officers (CEOs) and the regulatory affairs’ officials held at the PTA headquarters.

The meeting was chaired by PTA Chairman Dr Mohammad Yaseen and attended by senior PTA officials.

Dr Yaseen said that from January 31, 2009, onwards non-active mobile SIMs would be sold, which would be activated only after the verification of consumer data from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), subsequently sale of pre-activated SIMs would be stopped.

The meeting held discussion on the proposed model for activation of new SIMs after verification of customer data. Companies were earlier asked to present proposed models in line with the Ministry of Information Technology and Policy Directive on Online Verification and PTA Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs).

So far 10.5 million unverified connections have been blocked of which 7.9 million were unregistered.

According to the policy, up to 10 mobile connections could be issued against a single Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).

On this account, 2.6 million SIMs have already been blocked and remaining would either be regularised or blocked.