ISLAMABAD – Around 3.8 million SIM activation requests have so far been rejected on the basis of incorrect information and new SIMs are activated only after identification of legitimate users by asking secret questions.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has asked mobile phone users to confirm registration of their SIMs in their own names by using SMS service.
For this purpose,PTA has introduced two SMS services i.e. 667 and 668 for this purpose. A subscriber can send a blank SMS from his number on 667 and he would receive a SMS carrying the information (Name and CNIC) about the owner of the SIM.
If the SIM is not registered in his name, he should contact his service provider for correction of details.
If a subscriber sends his CNIC number through SMS to 668 he would be replied with total number of SIMs registered in his name with each mobile company, official sources in PTA told APP.
In case, a SIM is shown against his CNIC which he does not own he should contact operator for removal of that SIM from his name. This would help in further streamlining of the data of mobile phone users, he maintained.
It may be added that while continuing its campaign against unnamed and unregistered SIMs, PTA has so far blocked 16.3 million unregistered SIMs.
In addition, after introduction of “789 SIM Activation System” in February 2009, now non-activated SIMs are available in the market and those can only be activated after online verification from NADRA.
Besides this, PTA is also taking measures to resolve the issue of mobile handsets working on duplicate IMEI and would follow the policy guidelines of the government on it, official sources maintained.
3.8M SIM activation requests rejected
