PTA Delays Auction of 10,000 Seized Phones, Costing Millions in Revenue
- Abeera Marium Siddiqui
- May 6, 2025
- 3:54 pm
- 41
- Current Affairs
PTA delays auction of 10,000 phones, creating a major hurdle in selling confiscated smartphones. The delay is causing huge financial losses to the government.
Thousands of Phones Seized
Customs officials at airports in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad have seized over 10,000 smartphones. These phones cannot be sold or activated without approval from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The PTA must whitelist them using its system called DIRBS (Device Identification Registration and Blocking System).
Lack of Action by PTA
Even after many requests, PTA has not whitelisted the phones. Customs officers say they submitted several lists and asked the PTA to complete the process. But nothing has moved forward. Because of this, the government is losing millions in possible income.
Phones Are Losing Value
Most of the phones are expensive models like iPhones and Samsung Galaxy devices. Every day the phones stay in storage, their value drops. New models are coming to the market, so older ones become less attractive to buyers.
Urgent Plea by Customs
Collector Customs (Airports), Tayyabah Kiyani, said the situation is critical.
“We have formally requested PTA to whitelist the mobile phones so that they can be auctioned and the revenue deposited in the national treasury,” she said. She added that the longer the delay, the harder it gets to sell these devices. “It defeats the entire purpose of auctioning,” she noted.
Customs Offers a Solution
To fix the issue, Customs has suggested system integration. If DIRBS and the Customs database are connected, phones can be cleared quickly. This would save time and help the government earn money faster.
Confusion Between Agencies
Customs officials say they sent all required documents. Still, the PTA says it hasn’t received any official request.
A PTA official said they didn’t get any formal communication from Customs. This disagreement shows poor coordination between the two departments.
Phones Sitting Idle
Meanwhile, thousands of valuable smartphones are just lying in warehouses. They keep losing value every day, and no one knows when the issue will be resolved.
Need for Immediate Action
PTA delays auction of 10,000 phones, which is now a serious national issue. Better cooperation and faster processing are needed to unlock the value of these seized devices and support government revenue.
