MyAdhan Blog

Link: Pakistan: Operators to double check SIM purchase data with ID cards

The Ministry for Information Technology and Telecommunication has issued a policy for mobile subscriber antecedent data collection and verification by all mobile phone operators. Cellular Mobile Telecom Operators (CMTOs) will be required to double-check the data of SIM buyers by cross-referencing their antecedents with NADRA. Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr. Abdullah Riar has directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to facilitate availability of reliable data through mobile subscriber documentation and antecedent verification. IT & Telecom ministry has issued a policy for mobile subscriber antecedent data collection and verification by all mobile phone operators he told a press conference on Friday. The validation and verification of data received by operators from retail agents is critical, he said presenting salient feature of the policy. In this regard, antecedent data will be duly validated and verified by the cellular mobile telecom operators (CMTOs) by cross-referencing against NADRA CNIC database. Cross-referencing may be done through submission of batch data to NADRA (as currently done) or through IT application developed by CMTOs in collaboration with NADRA. The key objective of the policy is to balance the security and consumer convenience to address issues arising out of un-documented Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) and growth of telecom sector.All operators will be required to update the data of their existing customers within three months of issuance of the policy with help of their franchise, he said. PTA will devise necessary regulations and amended SoPs to be followed for the implementation of the policy including relevant penalty clause in case of violation, he said, adding that PTA will also continue to monitor the collection of antecedent data by franchisees and retail agents of the franchises of CMTOs through spot and random checks.