The Ministry of Information Technology has finalized its policy allowing citizens to receive smartphones in installments; those who fail to make payments on time will have their phones blocked.
IT Ministry Policy For Smartphones
According to sources, the policy, which has the support of all mobile companies, aims to reduce defaulters’ abuse of their phones.
Defaulters who do not pay their installment dues will have their mobile phones blocked, per the proposed policy.
This choice is anticipated to be put into effect under the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) and is the result of cooperation with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
PTA Action
According to sources, the PTA will take the lead in blocking phones rather than relying on mobile companies to enforce this measure.
While the decision to block unauthorized SIMs and ID cards is expected later, the current focus is on blocking defaulters’ mobile phones.
According to sources, the DIRBS system, which is already in use for blocking unauthorized or smuggled devices, will be used for this purpose.
Policy To Send To The Law Ministry
The Ministry of Information Technology intends to send the policy to the Law Ministry for thorough review in order to formalize it.
The policy will then be submitted to the federal cabinet for approval after it has been vetted.
The PTA will then be in charge of enforcing the policy, ensuring that defaulters face consequences for failing to pay their installments.
It should be noted that the PTA had previously requested that a policy be developed to address the issue of defaulters and to block mobile phones as a means of enforcement.
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