June 26, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429

MUZAFFARABAD, June 25: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday said it had conducted raids on several mobile phone outlets in the Azad Kashmir capital to block the sale of unregistered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

During the raids carried out by a PTA team with the help of local police, hundreds of SIM cards of different companies were confiscated from the outlets found to be involved in their unauthorised sale, says a press release.

While cases had been registered against the unauthorised sellers, the concerned mobile phone companies were also asked to investigate and take necessary action vis-i-vis transference of SIM cards to such persons/outlets, it added. The PTA team also asked the traders, who had gathered on the occasion, to discourage the unauthorised business of SIM cards and inform the authority or the local police about it so that appropriate action could be taken forthwith.

The press release recalled that the PTA had issued a number of warnings to the cellular companies to compel their franchises and retailers to sale the SIM cards in accordance with the prescribed policy and had also launched a campaign to convince consumers to get their unregistered SIM cards regularised to avert any complications.

When contacted, PTA zonal director Nisar Ahmed Awan said more raids would be conducted in future throughout the region to put a stop to the sale of unregistered SIM cards.

— Staff Correspondent