The Islamabad High Court on Friday issued a contempt of court notice to Dr Syed Ismail Shah, the Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), for not submitting reply in a case regarding illegal use of Afghan mobile telephone companies' Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) in Pakistan.
A single-member bench headed by Justice Athar Minallah heard a writ petition filed by Raja Saim ul Haq Satti who had sought blockade of millions of illegal SIMs of Afghan mobile telephone companies being used in Pakistan. During the course of proceedings, Satti argued that chairman PTA and other respondents are paying no heed to court's orders through which the said bench on December 10, 2014 had directed the chairman PTA to decide the matter within 30 days but to date the chairman PTA has not taken up the case.
He prayed before the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the respondents under law as the respondents have committed offences which are cognisable under Article 204 of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 read with Section 3/5 of the Contempt of Court ordinance/Act, 2004 and inherent jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.
Later, the court issued contempt of court notices to Dr Syed Ismail Shah Chairman PTA, Altaf Hussain Kashif (Assistant Director) Consumer Protection Directorate PTA and Sajjad Latif Awan DG (Revenue Assurance) PTA and adjourned the proceedings of the case with date in office. Earlier, Satti told the court that round 50,000 SIMs of Afghan mobile companies are in operation inside the Pakistani territory. Such SIMs are being used in heinous crimes, including bomb blasts.