A spokesperson of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has said that PTA has neither formed any regulation nor it intends to monitor any personal communication including mobile phones, email and SMS. The spokesman clarified that it was never a mandate of PTA to monitor landline telephones, mobile phones, emails and SMS hence question of freedom of expressions does not arise in this particular case. In fact, PTA in its efforts to curb ilegal telecom traffic( grey Trafiic) coming into Pakistan from outside the country through illegal means, has installed a latest technical systems.
Through this system, all telecom traffic coming in Pakistan from abroad is counted to ensure usage of authorized means to carry ourt this business, to control illegal telecom traffic, billing veriification and quality of service as required under the law. During last one year PTA saved 1.17 billion minutes (calls) through the technical system amounting to US$ 94 million. To make this system more effective PTA has recently formulated draft of “Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephony Traffic Regulations 2009″. PTA has put the draft of proposed regulations on its website to seek comments of all concerned to make these regulations comprehensive and acceptable to all.
