SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Telecommunication is the much profitable industry of Pakistan. When different cellular networks launched their services in Pakistan, they sold out SIM card without any regulation and scrutiny but after the misuse of SIMs in different social crimes and Terrorism, Government forced cellular networks to verify SIMs.
The purpose of the Biometric Verification System (BVS) is to verify the identity of everyone who owns and operates a cellular phone in Pakistan to prevent potential terrorists from anonymously coordinating with each other to plot attacks and to activate bombs using SIMs provided by CMOs. The PTA has restricted the maximum number of SIMs that can be registered to an individual’s computerised national identity card (CNIC) number to five. All the major CMOs have been encouraging their customers to biometrically verify their SIMs (by providing their thumb/fingerprints to the customer databases). As of February 26, 2015, the deadline for the verification for anyone who has three or more SIMs registered to their CNIC, 72 million SIMs have been biometrically verified and 10 million others were blocked and disowned by CMOs the next day. As the deadline drew near, people lined up in throngs outside customer service centres to complete the verification process, causing great inconvenience to traffic and customers, particularly the elderly, ailing, physically handicapped and those who cannot travel to customer service centres. The deadline for those who have less than three SIMs registered to their CNICs is April 13, 2015 and the second round of verifications will probably bring up all the same issues. Despite several discrepancies, it is very positive step that will help to curtail terrorist activities. Had it been done earlier, the crime rate would have been controlled long ago.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
