ISLAMABAD/MULTAN - Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Ms Shaza Fatima on Thursday told the Senate that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had blocked some 465 SIMs used by dacoits in the Katcha areas of Sindh, including the districts of Shikarpur and Ghotki.
Replying to a question of Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan in the House, she said that mobile numbers/SIMs, IMEls and CNICs (Computerized National Identity Cards) were blocked on the directions of the Ministry of Interior, Directorate General of Inter Services Intelligence and Signals Directorate of General Headquarters.
The minister said that during the year 2023-24, around 5,294 mobile numbers SIMs, 4507 IMEls and 113 CNICs were blocked and blacklisted while warning notices were issued to 19,730 numbers on fraudulent communication. Shaza Fatima further said that mobile service had been blocked in some areas of Rahim Yar Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan due to security issues. She said that grey traffic coming from outside Pakistan had been reduced by up to 90 per cent and the government was determined to further improve cyber security measures.
Also, a division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Multan bench upheld death sentence for 14 members of the notorious Chhotu gang, including its ringleader, Ghulam Rasool. According to the prosecution, the gang members were awarded death penalty by the Anti-Terrorism Court on six counts each. The LHC Multan bench upheld the decision. Each of the 14 convicts would face death penalty on six counts. The LHC bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry, delivered the ruling after careful consideration of the case. However, six other individuals involved in the case were acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence.
The case was initially registered at the Ichha Bangla Police Station (Rajanpur) under the supervision of Inspector Pervez Akhtar. The accused were charged with the murder and abduction of a Station House Officer (SHO) and other police personnel during a confrontation.
