Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed the mobile phone operators to speed up the process of streamlining the mobile phone usersâ?? antecedents data and take strong measures against the franchises and sub-agents found violating instructions of the regulator on the issue.

The Authority has called a meeting of mobile phone companies today to review the progress on mobile phone customersâ?? antecedents verification. The meeting was chaired by Chairman PTA, Maj. Gen. (R) Shahzada Alam Malik and attended by CEOs and senior management of all mobile phone companies.

The Chairman PTA expressed that PTA Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the subject matter should be followed in letter and spirit. He directed the companies to take stringent actions to ensure that sub-franchises of the companies also follow the procedure laid down by PTA. He also mentioned that franchises be cancelled if they are not following the SOP.

On this occasion, CEOs and senior officials of the companies briefed the Authority on measures already taken by them. They said that franchises are being checked to ensure PTAâ??s directions regarding sale of connections on unverifiable antecedents. They said that they were sending SMS to their customers to get their connections transferred in their names if they have not done it before.

Khurram Ali Mehran

Deputy Director (PR)