In the past half year, 4 million SIM cards have been frozen by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). At a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, presided up by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad, the PTA chairman made this revelation.
A total of 191 million mobile customers and 127 million internet subscribers are serviced by the 2,000 licensees under the PTA chairman’s watchful eye. He also noted that 4 million SIM cards had been disabled by the government in the past six months for various reasons.
The PTA chairman acknowledged the difficulties with fiberization and underlined the importance of simplifying fiberization procedures as a means of resolving these ongoing issues.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, a committee member, highlighted the importance of addressing cybersecurity, illegal information on social media, personal privacy, and consumer rights. The committee chair requested formal recommendations for resolving PTA issues.
PTA briefed over several issues
The committee also communicated with the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority to stress the importance of regular upkeep and open communication with residents. The committee promised the officials it would help them achieve the authority’s objectives within their budgetary limits.
The committee also met with the Director General (DG) of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to talk about erroneous invoicing and taxing (on the energy bills), as well as the Kunda culture in Karachi and how to address it.
The NEPRA DG elaborated on the legal basis for the taxes included in electricity bills. It was suggested that discos make an effort to prevent and punish sexual misconduct.
Public safety measures against cylinder blasts were discussed as the meeting came to a close. Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) representatives gave the committee an update on the publicity drive. To guarantee the public’s safety, the chair urged the OGRA, the Law Ministry, and the Cabinet Division to speed up the legislative process.
To read our article about “Ministry of Information Technology to bring Apple to Pakistan” click here.
