The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology has issued orders to check all mobile devices entering Pakistan.
A meeting of the committee, chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, discussed a six-point agenda. The committee received a briefing on technology safety following an incident in Lebanon where a pager exploded.
Committee members expressed their desire to prevent mobile phone accidents in Pakistan and to enhance the safety of mobile devices.
In response to a question, officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology stated that there is currently no mechanism to check imported mobile phones, but they can inspect locally manufactured devices.
Senator Afnanullah emphasized that mobile phones should be manufactured either in China or in a friendly country. According to reports, a 20-gram dynamite was placed in a pager in Lebanon, which had effects similar to a bullet and caused damage. He noted that similar technology could potentially be used in our mobile phones.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha remarked that while mobile phones are assembled in Pakistan, expensive models are still not produced locally.
The committee has ordered that all mobile devices entering Pakistan be checked and standardized.
The Ministry of Science and Technology responded that they would report back to the committee after working on this over the next four months.
