LAHORE: Pakistan Telecommunication companies are collecting millions of rupees from biometric registration of SIM cards as ten rupees are being taken per registration.
After the Peshawar Army School attack, government has declared it mandatory to confirm the biometric registration of all SIM card users before the February 26 to counter terrorism. A security official said, unregistered or fake registered SIM cards were being used by the terrorists to conduct attacks in Pakistan. More than 100 million SIM cards have been issued to known or unknown customers by companies.
Civil society has urged government to take action against the companies which have issued unregistered or fake registered Sims to people for the sake of revenue. They have also declared 10 Rs for biometric registration unfair. A citizen Iffat Chaudhary has lodged an application in Lahore High Court against the receiving of Rs 10 as tax on the biometric registration of mobile phone Sims from users. Applicant has taken stance that Pakistan Parliament has right to impose any tax and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Act also not allow to collect any additional tax by users so the collection of ten rupees is illegal that should be stopped. Applicant has also mentioned in application that issuance of unregistered SIM cards is the result of PTA and telecom sector negligence but users are being penalized for it.
