Blocking of unverified SIMs begins

ISLAMABAD: The government will start the process of blocking SIMs from today (Friday).More than three unverified SIMs per CNICs are being blocked after the expiry of first phase deadline of SIM verification on February 26.
At least five million SIMs have been verified on the last due date for undertaking biometric verification system (BVS).The government will not break this ongoing momentum to accomplish the phased process of verifying all the 103 million SIMs till the final deadline of April 13, 2015 to implement the National Action Plan (NAP).
So there will be no extension in the first deadline of Feb 26, 2015. But some sources pointed out that the PTA might continue the process to undertake verification exercise without blocking SIMs and without making any announcement.
However, the blocking of SIMs might be implemented after the expiry of ultimate deadline of April 13 deadline. “The process of blocking identification from all telecom operators,” official sources confirmed to The News here on Thursday. The Telecos have shared all their data with the PTA and the process of blocking suspicious SIMs would be kick-started in phased manner after expiry of first deadline.
The experts believe that the process of BVS would result into blocking another 20 million SIMs and process in this regard would start from today. The BVS had already blocked 10 million SIMs where customers disowned SIMs in their names.
But the regulator, PTA, preferred to keep mum on the queries of the media as its Chairman Dr Ismail Shah and Member Enforcement Abdul Samad kept their cell phones switched off apparently to create confusion.
However, the sources said that three or more SIMs on per CNIC if not verified by February 26, 2015 would start getting blocked from midnight. The deadline to complete the process for biometric verification system (BVS) for total 103 million SIMs was already April 13, 2015. Nothing in this regard will be extended and the first phase in this regard was completed on February 26, 2015.
So far, they said, more than 72 million SIMs against 46 million CNICs have been verified till morning on Thursday and it is estimated that total 75 to 76 million SIMs would have been verified till expiry of deadline at midnight. Around 10 million SIMs were disowned and subsequently blocked during first phase of BVS process.
According to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised by regulator for telecom operators for the purpose of BVS, total number of SIMs going to be verified stood at 103 million. The subscribers were divided in two categories on the basis of their locations.
Troubled areas where terrorist activities are on rife include Karachi, Peshawar, DI Khan, DG Khan Cities, Border Areas (FATA) & Balochistan.The subscribers were divided into grey list and white list. The grey list is comprised of those having 3 and more SIMs per CNIC per operator while white list will be consist of those having 2 or less SIMs per CNIC per operator.