In the past six months, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 4 million SIM cards.
The PTA chairman revealed this during a hearing of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, which was presided over by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad.
The PTA chairman emphasised that the association is responsible for 2,000 licensees operating in a variety of industries, providing service to 127 million broadband subscribers and 191 million mobile customers. He stated that 4 million SIM cards have been blocked by the authority in the last six months for a variety of reasons.
In order to address ongoing issues the PTA is experiencing, fiberization concerns were recognised, and the PTA chairman emphasised the need for easing fiberization operations.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, a member of the committee, called attention to important issues such consumer rights, social media fraud, cybersecurity, and illegal content. The committee was asked by the chair for written advice on how to handle PTA-related matters.
The committee also spoke with representatives of the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority and urged them to guarantee good upkeep and transparency. The committee promised to support the authority in achieving its objectives and adhering to its financial restrictions.
Along with erroneous billing and taxes (on energy bills) issues, the committee also spoke with the Director General (DG) of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) about Karachi’s Kunda culture and strategies to address these problems.
The taxation imposed on electricity bills was brought to light, and the NEPRA DG explained the legal basis for these levies. Future discussions should consider strategies to reduce disco misconduct.
Discussions about the public safety campaign against cylinder blasts brought the gathering to a close. The committee was informed on the awareness campaign by representatives of the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
In order to ensure that residents are protected, the chair emphasised the value of public education and urged OGRA, the Law Ministry, and Cabinet Division to hasten the legislative process.