GUNERI (India): When politicians on both sides of the border thought of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan, they may not have had this in mind.

For, villages situated in certain pockets of Kutch can access Pakistani mobile phone services. And this is giving security agencies in Gujarat sleepless nights.

Officials are worried because any person using a Pakistani SIM card would be able to communicate with contacts in India and provide classified details to infiltrators without being detected. These signals could even circumvent radio intercept installations in bases along the Indian border.

In fact, cell-phones in villages situated on the Indian side of the border do not receive Indian cellular services but can catch microwaves from Pakistan. This correspondent visited villages like Guneri, Cher and Biwi Ka Kuan in Lakhpat taluka and ran a manual search on the cellphone for network services. These villages are located anywhere between 40 to 60 kilometres from the Pakistan border.

At least five Pakistani services — WaridTel, PK-Ufone, PAK-PL, Telenor PK and PK-MK — could be received on the cellphone. Border Security Force officials in Bhuj add that five more mobile services can be received in these villages. Local crime branch officials say the services are also available in Jhara Doongar area, Dedapad and certain pockets near Dholavira.

“It is likely that the Pakistani towers might have been installed very close to the border and the strength of the transreceiver stations of the Pakistani companies may be overpowering our networks. Besides, mobile service signals are in loop patterns and even mirror signals received on the Indian side can be utilised if one has a Pakistani SIM card,” says a senior BSNL official.

When asked whether Indian signals reach Pakistan, the BSNL official replied in the negative. “We have instruments installed by security agencies on our borders that prevents this,” he said.—By arrangement with The Times of India.