Recently a Pakistani news channel has claimed that number of Afghan mobile SIMs are active and operating in Pakistan, while Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is unaware of the fact. The channel further claimed that these SIMs are used for communication among terrorists.
However in a short press release PTA has clarified that no Afghan mobile SIM can operate in Pakistan. The Authority has blocked the International roaming for Afghan issued mobile SIMs for quite some time. Due to the spill over effects from Afghan Telecom companies, those SIMs might work near border areas, but the range is quite limited. PTA has already approached Afghan Embassy to resolve this issue, but no response received to date.
Apropos to some stories published in a section of press regarding Afghan SIMs, it is clarified that the information contained in these stories is incorrect and inaccurate. To address the spill over effects of mobile signals at Pak Afghan Border PTA had approached Afghan Embassy in Pakistan through Pakistan Foreign Office in August, 2014.
PTA had proposed an MoU to be signed between two governments to resolve current and any future issues related to mobile phone towers and cross border flow of signals. However, despite several reminders, no response was received until now.
It may also be added that investigations regarding Bacha Khan University attack are underway. It is also to mention that Afghan SIMs can call any number in Pakistan from any part of Afghanistan.
