The committee directed the authority to take stern measures against illegal sale and registration of SIMs, besides steps to control cyber crime.

A Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT) representative briefed the committee about the National Incubation Centre (NIC) Ignite and the awareness programme.

He extended an invitation to the committee members to visit the NIC, which was accepted.

Representatives from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprised the committee about the cyber-crime project, that was commenced in September last year to address the cyber crime, security and objectionable material being posted on social media.

The committee was told that the project had cost around Rs 1,128 million, while it had got approval to hire 416 officers on two-year contract to process the cases at fast-track.

A Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) representative briefed the committee about the PTCL affairs, while a PTCL employees union leader told it about the sufferings of the PTCL employees.

A three-member sub-committee -  with Sher Ali Arbab its convener and Ali Gohar Khan and Muhammad Hashim as members - was constituted to look into the PTCL matters such as the rights of PTCL employees after 2008, embezzlement into 26% PTCL shares, unrevised pay scales since 2011, unpaid 12% share to the employees of the PTCL through BESOS in 2010, regularization of NCPG, daily wages and contractual employees, sacking of hundreds of its employees in 2010 and payment dues and arrears to the pensioners.

The meeting was attended by Saghibzada Sibghatullah, Sher Ali Arbab, Javaria Zafar Aheer, Kanwal Shauzab, Nusrat Wahid, Muhammad Hashim, Ali Gohar Khan, Romina Khursheed Alam, Maiza Hameed, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Naz Baloch and Syed Mehmood Shah, besides the Minister for IT and senior officials.