ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an important advisory for mobile phone buyers, warning them against purchasing unregistered or unauthorized devices.
According to the PTA, mobile phones that are not approved or registered under its Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) are automatically blocked from use in Pakistan.
According to officials, the new system has been established to check any kind of fraud, smuggling and illegal activities that might take place involving mobile phones, while registering all phones working in the country.
They revealed that devices that do not have their IMEI numbers registered get identified and then get blocked under the system that might lead to problems for those users who purchase them unintentionally.
It is further recommended that consumers must ensure legal import and registration of their mobile phones while paying the required taxes through the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Mobile phone buyers are encouraged to check their approval before purchasing to prevent any future losses.
Alert for Mobile Users: PTA Warns Against Sharing Fake News and Blasphemous Content
Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a warning to mobile phone users regarding the sharing of illegal and harmful content on social media platforms.
According to the PTA, users must exercise responsibility while using social media and avoid sharing blasphemous material, content against Islam or the state, obscene material, or false and misleading information. The authority emphasized that distributing such content is a punishable offence under the law.
PTA called upon users to stay away from any kind of illegal digital content and it advised Pakistani citizens to report such content not only to PTA but also to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
This comes at a time when there have been rising fears about the misuse of social media websites and the spreading of misinformation on them.
Earlier, PTA had also issued an emergency public warning in relation to foreign SIM cards used in Pakistan.
At that time, PTA warned users about the usage of foreign SIM cards in Pakistan and called it an illegal practice.
