The Hindu : Cellphone jammers fail on Indo-Pak. border

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 16, 2003

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Cellphone jammers fail on Indo-Pak. border

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu Nov. 15. Anybody having a SIM card of the cellular providers in Pakistan can access the services sitting in Jammu. Contrary to the claims of the BSNL and the security agencies, the jammers on the sensitive Indo-Pakistani International Border have not been effective.

Cellphone facilities were started with much fanfare in Jammu and Kashmir two months ago after the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, took up the issue with the Centre. A condition was that the facility would not be available in the area situated 10 km near the IB or even the Line of Control.

The 198-km IB in the State besides being used by the smugglers to enter Indian territory, has lately become a route for militants. This fact makes the reception of mobile signals of Pakistani cellular service providers in Jammu a worrying factor for security agencies. In the menu PK U Phone and PK01 signals — both names of cellular service providers based in Pakistan — have been sighted several times by the people.

Satish Verma, who had seen these signals had brought the issue to the notice of the authorities. "This is a worrying sign. If corrective steps are not taken, militants may start using these services," he said.

It is difficult to keep a surveillance of the Pakistan cellular services. The IB with Pakistan is a plain tract and at some places the border is less than six km from Jammu. Intelligence sources believe that the Pakistan cellular service providers may be beaming powerful signals intentionally.

Sources said this had been brought to the notice of the Director-General (BSF), Ajay Raj Sharma, and that he had given an assurance to take up the matter at an appropriate level.

The BSNL authorities have been maintaining a conspicuous silence on the issue. "We are examining the matter seriously and will be taking swift action, " a BSNL official said.

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