Plan to Avoid the misuse of cellphone SIMs:

 KARACHI, 26th April 2011: Federal Interior Minister OF Pakistan Rahman Malik along with Chief Minister Of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah discussed law and order in the province at a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday in the backdrop of twin terrorist attacks on Pakistan Navy buses in Karachi earlier in the day.

 It was also stated that the government had decided to revisit the Anti-Terrorism Act to provide protection to witnesses and to include use of electronic devices for acts of terrorism under its purview.

 The government also took decisions on framing stringent rules for the issuance of SIMs (Subscriber Identity Modules) in order to break the network of terrorists.

Referring to the ongoing spate of targeted killings in Karachi, Mr Malik said that one of the suspects arrested in this regard had confessed to have killed 40 people. Another one possessed 500 SIMs and yet another one had more than 100 SIMs in his possession.

The meeting appreciated the government’s move towards curbing misuse of SIMs and cellphones.

Mr Malik was of the view that the major Sindh coalition partners — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) — all were on the same page in dealing with terrorist elements but there were certain elements who were out to destabilise Pakistan through various methods.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah, with reference to the fresh attacks on PN buses, told the meeting that the police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies were put on high alert on the basis of available information but terrorists chose the target that did not figure in the plan.

He said that as a result of dialogue between political forces, there had been considerable decline in targeted killings in Karachi while kidnapping for ransom had also dropped by 38 per cent.

The meeting was informed that during January-April this year, a total of 557 murders were carried out in the city with an average of 4.9 per day. He said 153 people lost their lives in targeted killings, the average coming to 1.4 per day.

The meeting decided that pre-paid phone SIMs should be re-verified with ID cards within 30 days and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers of mobile phones should also be re-verified during the same period of time.

No new SIM would be issued to a purchaser rather it would be instantly posted through registered post as per the ID card address whether permanent or temporary.