IVK: First Anti-Virus ever created in Pakistan

Pakistan a Safe Heaven for Cyber Criminals

Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) Chief, through a letter (at last) apprised the Federal Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Minister that in the absence of Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance (PECO) Law 2007 (lapsed in 2010), Pakistan had become a safe heaven for cyber criminals and con artists whereas the law enforcement agencies were unable to take legal action against them.

CPLC in its letter said that it receives countless complaints regarding fake calls deceiving citizens into receiving a phony prize, misleading text messages, threatening and harassing through mobile phone calls and messages and so on. However, CPCL said, FIA is unable to take any action against all such crimes due to the absence of PECO.

Letter referenced to an incident in which CPLC received once such complaint from a trader of Jodia Bazaar where the culprits had disappeared after he (trader) transferred Rs 10,000 to them via easy load. Culprits had promised a hefty lottery money to the trader.

After receiving several complains, Sindh CPLC Chief Ahmed Chinoy asked FIA to take up such cases for necessary action as per law. In response to Chinoy’s letter, FIA told him that due to the absence of PECO, they were unable to take any action against the offenders.

Letter that was addressed to the Federal Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Minister to draw his attention towards the PECO Law 2007, which had been lapsed in 2010.

Urging the federal minister to revoke PECO, letter said that these criminals were intentionally harming the physical, mental and financial position of their victims by using modern telecommunication networks such as internet and mobile phones.

Prime Minister Approves 3G Policy in Pakistan,Confirmed: 3G/4G/LTE License Auction in March 2012

                          
Long awaited approval 3G policy has reportedly been approved by Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, reported Express Tribune.
After PM’s approval the policy will now be forwarded to Cabinet Committee for the final approval from cabinet, before it’s handed over to Ministry of Information Technology for execution.
According to reports, Mr. Gilani chaired this meeting on 3G, Grey traffic and Additional Spectrum auction for Wireless Local Loop here at Prime Minister’s House where it was agreed that new international players as well as existing operators would also be invited for Instaphone license auction being the sixth licensee in the country.
Ministry of Information Technology gave a presentation on recommendations formulated by Cabinet Committee comprising Dr. Hafeez Sheikh, Minister for Finance, Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Water and Power, and Ghos Baksh Mehr, Minister for Privatization and Dr Asim Hussain, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources.
It was decided that three blocks of 10 MHZs each out of available 3G spectrums would be immediately offered for auction and existing operators can participate in this round as well. New players will also be invited but with provision that if new player is successful in bid then they would be eligible to start operation only after March 2013 when moratorium on new licensing, as per Government’s agreement with Etisalat, would expire.
More spectrums would be made available for 3/4 G services and offered for auction with the provision that winners of such auction will receive amended licenses and allocated frequencies by March 2013 and as such will be able to start their services thereafter.
In order to ensure professionalism and transparency, it was also decided that a committee of Public Sector stakeholders including representatives from Ministries of Finance, Information Technology, PTA and representative of Frequency Allocation Board would supervise auction process. PTA would devise an appropriate methodology to conduct varying component of this auction as decided under the supervision of the Committee.