Limit of 5 Voice SIMs against each CNIC: Supreme Court accepts Zong's plea regarding data-only SIMs

Accepting the China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak) Zong plea for correction of a mistake in court order, the top court on Wednesday said that the cellular company can provide additional three Data Connections under its 4G license. Earlier, a three member judge bench led by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had accepted the plea of CMPak Zong seeking the court directives for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to restrain from extending the apex court's order for maximum limit of 5 Voice SIMs to data-only SIMs.
It is important to mention that the plea urged the Supreme Court for remedy in context to the apex court directives of May 21, 2012 over the law and order situation in Balochistan which ruled to reduce the number of SIMs from 10 to 5 only to be purchased against one CNIC - whether from one or more service providers.
Appearing before the apex court on behalf of CMPak Zong Mian Shafaqat Jan had pleaded that Voice SIMs and data-only SIMs were two distinct categories, adding that his client does not wish to challenge the 5 SIM limit placed on Voice SIMs by the Supreme Court because such SIMs category is totally different from data-only SIMs which provide data and internet services.
Announcing verdict in the matter, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had categorically said that the PTA would be authorised to approve increase in the numbers of mobile phone SIMs without prior permission of the Court in future. "This being the position, the applicants in CMA No5657 of 2015 have no issue as regards to provision of additional three Wireless Local Loop (WLL) Data Connections by PTA, which of course can be reconsidered as and when required by the authorities concerned, without intervention of this court," the court said in its order.
However, invoking the apex court jurisdiction through a Civil Miscellaneous Application (CMA), CMPak Zong's counsel submitted that from the use of the term "WLL" an impression is being created as if the order of the apex court of November 5, 2015 is actually passed with respect to the WLL licenses and not with respect to the CMpak saying which is not a WLL licensee but holding a Cellular Mobile and a 4G Data license. After accepting the CMA's prayer in a brief hearing, the bench disposed of the matter.