LAHORE, Sept 21: The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has directed several cellular companies to terminate the registration of franchisees violating the instructions of the authority regarding issuance of connections.

According to a statement issued on Friday, the direction had been issued to the chief executives of Ufone, Warid, Mobilink, Telenor and CM-Pak (Paktel).

PTA Lahore zonal director Nayyar Hassan said that all cellular mobile telecoms operators (CMTOs) were obliged to verify the antecedents of a subscriber before selling of a SIM.

According to details of Standard Operating Procedure issued by the PTA to all CMTOs and their franchisees, no SIM could be issued to anyone without the production of a national identity card, he said.

He said a phased nationwide survey was being conducted to look into the matters of sale of SIMs. In the first phase, he said, a franchisee of Ufone at Zakariya Shopping Centre near Chungi No 6, Bosan Road, Multan; franchisees of Mobilink at Centre Point Gulberg in Lahore, and Haleem Telecom at Al-Haj Plaza, Phase-III, Chowk Gulabad, Peshawar; a franchisee of Warid, Dar Communications, 103-Garhi Shahu, Allama Iqbal Road, Lahore; a franchisee of Telenor at 7-Circular Road, Lahore; and a franchisee of CM Pak (Paktel) at Latifabad No 7, Hyderabad, were found violating instructions of the authority and engaged in selling SIMs without verification. The CEOs have been directed to take appropriate measure to seal or terminate the registration of these franchisees.