KARACHI, March 28: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved a policy on theft or snatching of cellphones, it is learnt.
The policy, titled “Blocking of stolen/snatched mobile phones through IMEI number”, concedes that on an average over a hundred mobile phones are stolen or snatched on a daily basis.
According to the policy, the provincial government will educate the public on what to do in case their cellphones get stolen. It will also educate the public on how to retrieve and record IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers of their mobile sets.
The policy says that in case of a theft, a subscriber will inform the police helpline 15 or the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (5682222), giving their IMEI numbers and other credentials. It points out that the CPLC has already developed software to maintain the record of stolen/snatched mobile phones. The police helpline 15 will pass on their recorded complaints to the CPLC.
“The CPLC will inform all CMTOs (cellular mobile telecoms operators), giving IMEI numbers and related details for entering the stolen IMEI numbers on their GSM network for blocking any SIM inserted in those stolen mobile phones. It will record the IMEI number of stolen phones and will share the information with law-enforcement agencies and members of the Karachi Electronic Dealer Association who deals in second-hand mobile phone sets,” the policy says, adding that the CPLC will be responsible for authenticity of complaints and “CMTOs will block or reactivate SIMS only after written instructions/ clearance from the CPLC.”
Before blocking the SIM, the mobile company concerned will send an SMS to the subscriber informing him that he is using a stolen or snatched mobile phone set for which his SIM is being blocked and he may contact the CPLC at 5682222 for clearance. The format of the SMS will be: ‘Dear customer! You are using stolen/snatched phone. Your SIM is being blocked. Contact CPLC 5682222 for information/ clearance.
The cellular mobile companies will also educate their subscribers on how to retrieve and record the IMEI numbers of their mobile sets through SMS or the media. Each CMTO will designate an officer at Karachi for coordination/liaison with the CPLC, says the policy.
According to the PTA policy, those who deal in second-hand mobile sets, after receiving information about stolen phone sets, will also prepare a data bank of stolen mobile phones’ IMEI numbers to ensure that such sets are not purchased or sold. They will also inform law-enforcement agencies and the CPLC when stolen mobile sets are detected.
The regional PTA director, Col Rizwan Hyderi, told Dawn that his office had sent a draft policy to the headquarters in Islamabad for approval two weeks back.
He added that final implementation orders had been issued by the headquarters.
Mr Hyderi recalled that some time back the PTA had organized a meeting of representatives of four cellular phone companies with officials of the Sindh police and the CPLC.
He said that all the stakeholders had agreed on the policy which had been approved by the telecoms regulator.
