Complaints regarding pesky brand marketing calls increasing: PTA fails to take action

Despite clear directives to the service providers from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to remain vigilant for stopping unsolicited communications, complaints regarding pesky marketing calls are on the rise in the country.
The PTA claims to have proper mechanism to regulate pesky telemarketing calls and SMSs but the same keep irritating the mobile users even after lodging complaints in this regard. "We are still unable to find way out to manage email accounts because of junk emails and now this telemarketing makes life more miserable," said Rehman, a branch manager of one of the private banks.
"Apart from unknown calls and pesky brand marketing SMSs, my inbox also encounters with unsolicited jokes, Islamic, friendships and other SMSs from unknown numbers. I didn't try to take any legal action against the users of these numbers as somebody told me, if I blocked these numbers, the barrage of these unwanted teasers would be increased from other unknown numbers," said Tooba Ali, a student of B.Com II.
"I get lots of calls and SMSes everyday from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who pester me by offering several internet packages besides seeking personal information. I also lodged complaints in this connection but the problem still persists," said Muhammad Kashif, a Cable Net operator.
"After final exams, we had visited several institutes to take admission in language course early this year. These institutes are still making calls and SMSs on daily basis for admission, despite we have refused to do so," said a group of metric students. Officials in PTA, who did not want to be quoted, said there are several sources from where these telemarketers could easily get the information of mobile users.
They said the service providers and the call centre agents were the main source for telemarketers to purchase all information of the mobile users including names, addresses and cell numbers. They said that several fake and unauthorised survey firms were also busy in collecting personal information from passers-by, commuters, students, office-goers etc and added that the citizens should verify the veracity of the surveyors before providing personal data.
They termed the permission to get 10 SIMs on a single CNIC as one of the major causes for rapid increase in telemarketing, saying that the PTA should not allow registration more then four SIMs on a single CNIC. Moreover, they said the authority concerned should also impose ban on online verification for SIMs registration but allow the same only on physical verification to avert the misuse of mobile-chip for any illicit activity.
When contacted, Younus, director public relations in PTA expressed inability to take suo-motu action against the Contain Service Providers (CSPs), saying that although the PTA is empowered to take stern punitive measures against the unauthorised CSPs, the same could be made only on the users' complaints. He said the SMS limit for specified period was already fixed and the cellular companies had also been directed to block the SIMs in case of its violation. He said that the PTA has separate consumer protection department (CPD) to resolve consumer related problems and appealed to the citizens to lodge their complaints by making calls to CPD or through website to avoid such inconvenience in future. He said the telemarketers are required to get license from PTA and stern punitive measures could be taken, if anyone was found guilty in this regard.