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The National Assembly of Pakistan has raised serious concerns about fraudulent third-party service providers allegedly working with mobile operators and leaking citizens’ personal and financial data for fraudulent use.
MNA Syed Rafiullah questioned the government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) about measures to curb such practices. The Minister In-charge of the Cabinet Division responded that operators are legally bound to protect consumer data and may only share limited information under specific conditions or with informed customer consent.
Data Protection Framework
| Law / Clause | Key Rule |
|---|---|
| LDI & Local Loop License 7.7.1 | No disclosure except for debt recovery, inter-operator services, audits, or crime prevention. |
| LDI & Local Loop License 7.7.2 | Disclosure only with customer consent after clear explanation. |
| Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations 2009 | Operators must ensure confidentiality of consumer data. |
| Third Party Service Provider License 10.1 | Must safeguard against fraud, data misuse, and ensure complaint handling. |
The PTA said it has already taken action by sending over 1 billion awareness messages, activating warning ringback tones with the State Bank and SECP, blocking masked bank numbers used in scams, and operating an online Complaint Management System (CMS).
Officials stressed that this issue relates specifically to data leakage, not routine data sharing, and called for stricter safeguards and stronger public awareness to prevent fraud.
