ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Spokesman of National Counter Terrorism Authority’s (NACTA) Usman Ghani said that eight people have been arrested for giving false information to anti terror body of NACTA on its free toll number of 1717.
Talking to BBC, he said that these men are being proceeded against Telephone and Telegraph Act of 1885 and NACTA laws.
He said in the first 20 days of last month some 20 thousand false information were given to NACTA about terrorism.
Usman Ghani said as a first step numbers from which false calls are made are blocked and if the calls are not stopped its SIM is blocked even then if the caller continues to make false calls he is proceeded against under the law.
He said such callers besides offering false information about terrorism also hurl abuses to the personnel manning the telephone or tell them obnoxious jokes.
He said NACTA received 41 such genuine calls on which prompt action had been taken. An expert on Security Affairs Amir Rana said the reason behind the false calls is that the culture of Help Line is not so old in the country.
He said it would take time till the people in general could know the utility of this service and the procedure of lodging complaint has to be simplified.
