Pakistan’s telecom regulator has asked the government to take up with India and Afghanistan the issue of removing cellular towers near the border whose signals are spilling over into the country’s territory.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has claimed that these signals emanate from mobile phone towers in India and Afghanistan located close to the border.
The PTA has written to the Interior Ministry and law enforcement agencies to take up the matter with their counterparts in India and Afghanistan. “The matter should be taken up with the Indian and Afghan governments to ensure removal of towers along border areas,” the PTA said in an official letter.
A PTA official told that some Indian and Afghan operators had set up towers in close proximity to the border. The sale of Indian and Afghan SIMs in Pakistan’s border areas has also been reported.
Afghan SIMs have reportedly been used in kidnapping for ransom cases and other illegal activities, officials alleged.
“Since the SIMs of both countries are in use in border areas because of their signals spilling over into Pakistan territory, law enforcement agencies are left with only the option of intercepting phone calls if any illegal activity is taking place,” the official said.
