ISLAMABAD: “Phone hacking has become so easy that I can connect and hack your phone before you return if you leave it somewhere and go to the bathroom,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chief stated to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.
During a hearing on the subject of audio leaks, PTA Chairman Major-General Hafeezur Rehman gave this justification to a court led by IHC Justice Babar Sattar.
The nation’s spy agencies had previously argued in court filings that phone calls may be intercepted by viruses and mobile apps, and that intelligence services were unable to identify the source of the hacking.
Maj-Gen Rehman informed the court on Thursday that 90% of smartphones are infected with “viruses” that can activate built-in cameras and jeopardize user privacy.
Maj-Gen Rehman claims that Pegasus and other viruses can hack phones “within a minute.”
During a conference in Barcelona, where he was a keynote speaker, Maj-Gen Rehman shared a story about an Israeli software business named Pegasus, which has the ability to “hack a phone within a minute.”
With the exception of the clause allowing for lawful interception, he stated the PTA enforced every clause in the telecom operators’ license.
Judge Sattar then questioned the telecom operators’ attorney about whether there was a procedure for lawful interception and inquired as to whether the PTA was claiming that audio recording or phone tapping was being done unlawfully.
In response, the attorney stated that although PTA had set up a system, the federal government owned it.
He clarified that since legal interception is the purview of the PTA, the federal government, and other pertinent organizations, it does not apply to cellular services.
The judge then inquired as to which organization has the authority to provide orders for wiretapping.
In response, the attorney said that telecom providers just follow the PTA’s directives and are unaware of this.
Justice Sattar drew attention to the fact that, contrary to their contractual obligation to protect customers’ personal information, telecom companies are sharing the locations of these persons with law authorities.
He then inquired as to what legal framework they use to disclose customer information with the appropriate authorities.
Subsequently, the telecom operators were ordered by the court to provide a comprehensive report by the subsequent hearing date.
The federal government had filed its report, according to Additional Attorney General Barrister Munawar Iqbal Duggal, on petitioner Bushra Bibi and Najamus Saqib, the son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.
Judge Sattar expressed his displeasure, saying he had asked for a report on the legal basis for the government’s permission to tap phones.
According to him, the court wishes to comprehend the structure of data exchange with the agencies.
He questioned if telecom companies could give any agency access to an individual’s personal information without the federal government’s consent.
Irfan Qadir, a PTA attorney, retorted that the authority may pursue legal action against the cellular company for privacy violations.
The Council of Complaints has commenced and can take action against any television channel for airing unconfirmed and private conversations of residents, Pemra Chairman Mirza Saleem Baig told the court.
