July 18, 2008	Friday	Rajab 14, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 17: A Senate committee has expressed concern over large-scale proliferation of undocumented SIMs of mobile phones in the country, observing that it is posing a serious threat to national security and social harmony.

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Abdul Raziq, was of the opinion that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had failed in implementing the procedures agreed earlier, through the franchises of various cellular companies.

The PTA was supposed to block some 7.4 million undocumented SIMs by April 30, but it had not completed the job so far and was still to block 1.4 million SIMs. This does not include the SIMs issued from May 1 to date and it is believed that millions of more SIMs have been sold by various cellular companies through franchises without adopting the procedure of verification of subscribers’ data.

The committee said that half-hearted attempts had not and would not produce tangible results. The chairman of the committee suggested that the companies should be asked to issue ‘non-active’ SIMs to potential buyers, which would be activated only after verification of data from the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).

He said Pakistan welcomed investment by foreign companies and the government would facilitate them in every manner, but considerations of security could not be compromised at any cost. The PTA chairman would be asked to attend the next meeting of the committee to explain his position.

The committee observed that the process of computerisation was not helping the general public and people had to run from pillar to post to get their routine work done in government departments.

Asking the ministry of information technology not to “reinvent the wheel”, the committee pointed out that in other countries, computerisation had led to simplification of procedures, transparency and efficiency, which was directly benefiting the general public. Unfortunately in Pakistan, the people were still in the clutches of “Tehsildar’s and Patwari’s”, who were working with their obsolete ways and outdated methods. Its most significant manifestation was seen in courts at the middle and lower levels.

Cases in large numbers were still in pending, relevant record was generally not available and its procurement was a difficult job for petitioners. The committee said the situation was the same in hospitals, police stations, income tax and home departments.