Kabul not bound to stop mobile signal spillage: PTA

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Afghanistan is not bound to prevent its cellular phone signals from spillage into Pakistan, a top official informed the Senate on Friday.

Islamabad has made a formal request to Kabul through the Foreign Office and the General Headquarters (GHQ)to reduce the strength of cellular frequencies.

However, Afghanistan has not yet responded to the request, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr. Ismail Shah told the Senate Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.

Senator Muhammad Daud Khan Achakzai, chairman of the panel, asked what about steps had been taken to stop cellular signals spilling over from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

Another lawmaker, Kalsoom Parveen, referred to cases of misuse, citing extortion calls made from Afghan phone networks to Pakistani traders, industrialists and some important figures.

In response, Shah said that Afghan SIMs had been banned inside Pakistan. “The only SIMs Afghans are using in the country are the ones sold by local cellular mobile companies, processed through the biometric SIM verification system (BVS).”

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