Pakistan considers banning Afghan SIMs in border areas to curb terror
Pakistan
Pakistan considers banning Afghan SIMs in border areas to curb terror
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Authorities are considering blocking signals of Afghan cellular networks near the border areas to curb terror and criminal activities in Pakistan, it has been learnt.
According to reliable sources, Pakistani intelligence agencies have advised imposing a ban on the usage of Afghan SIMs (subscriber identity modules) in border regions following the revelation about their misuse in terrorism and criminal activities.
They said unregistered Afghan SIM cards were readily available in the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan which terrorists employed to operate messaging apps, such as WhatsApp.
They said besides terrorists, criminals also used Afghan SIMs for the purpose of surveillance and concealing their identities.
To address this issue, sources said, the intelligence agencies recommended establishment of a robust local mobile service infrastructure in the border areas to encourage citizens to switch to local networks.
The agencies also proposed implementing a requirement for users to provide identification before accessing open Wi-Fi networks, added sources.
It has also been suggested that users should undergo identification verification when suspicious activities are detected on Wi-Fi connections.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with Pakistan in November.
