According to a reply submitted by PTA to the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications, the PTA has taken several measures to tackle the issuance of illegal SIM cards.
PTA has been ordered to implement a five-finger detection system while verifying its customers to curb the threat of silicone thumbprints. 58,000 SIM cards of deceased persons have been blocked from providing data from NADRA.
According to PTA, NADRA has been asked to use the index finger for identification instead of thumbprints. PTA, NADRA and CMOs are also working on two-finger authentication systems for SIM card issuance.
According to PTA’s response to the NA Committee, PTA and NADRA are in a consultation process to work out a foolproof mechanism to stop the issuance of illegal SIM cards. During this process, the first meeting took place in the PTA headquarters in late December 2021 and the second meeting in the NADRA headquarters in the first week of January.
Representatives from PTA, NADRA and CMOs held a detailed discussion about issuance of SIMs through identity theft. During the second meeting at NADRA headquarters, technical experts from CMOs, NADRA and PTA participated in tests for two-finger authentication on various LFD devices for issuance of SIMs. During this meeting, it was decided that NADRA will develop and share the AIPs for two-finger authentication for implementation at the end of the CMO.
According to PTA, two CMOs have been sanctioned for violation and 45 cases have been forwarded to the FIA for investigation. Sim sales SoPs are strictly enforced with procedures and sanctions in case of violations by CMOs. PTA also instructed CMOs to install live finger detection devices for issuance of SIMs.
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