Here's how you can get lost, stolen cellphone blocked

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) launched on Wednesday a new automated system for blocking lost and stolen mobile phones.

Citizens can get a mobile phone blocked in case it has been stolen, snatched or lost by filing a request with the PTA through the new Lost and Stolen Device System (LSDS).

On a complaint, the telecommunication regulator said, the IMEI of such a handset will be blocked to prevent its potential misuse. The new system is integrated with the Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS).

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Stolen mobile phones will be blocked within 24 hours of reporting after necessary verification.

Users will have to lodge a request with PTA through its online Complaint Management System (CMS) at www.pta.gov.pk. The complainant will receive a complaint reference number upon successful registration of the blocking request.

If the phone is recovered, the complainant will have to follow the same procedure to get it unblocked. The user will receive an SMS on the registered number once the mobile phone is unlocked.