Pakistan cracks down on 'terrorism tool' mobile sim cards
Announcing plans for legislation, Rehman Malik said unregistered mobile phones – along with motorcycles – had become tools used by militant groups to launch attacks.
Last week, mobile networks were blacked out across swathes of Pakistan in an effort to prevent violence as Shias gathered to mark the religious festival of Ashura. Motorcycles were also banned in some places.
Mobile phones are frequently used to detonate explosives remotely and are also employed as backup in case suicide bombers lose their nerve.
Sim card vendors have been given three months to install biometric systems, including fingerprint readers, to confirm the identity of customers.
"No mobile phone sim will be sold by an unconcerned person or at shops in the future," said Mr Malik during a visit to a passport office. "For this purpose, a law will be introduced shortly." The move is the latest attempt to prevent terrorists using unregistered sim cards.
Previous proposals have included ending all pay-as-you-go deals, a suggestion that brought a furious reaction from phone companies in a country where all but the wealthy elite rely on cheap prepaid phones, buying a hundred or so rupees of credit (about 70p) at a time.
Another safeguard involved couriering new SIM cards to customers' homes as a way of checking addresses, but the requirement was dropped last month.
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