The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) swiftly blocked 43 loan applications on Monday following a recent suicide case in Rawalpindi.

The move comes as part of a broader effort to combat scammers and fake applications in the country, following instructions from the Ministry of Information Technology.

The Federal Minister for IT and Telecom, Syed Amin ul Haque, acknowledged the urgency of the situation and directed the PTA chairman to promptly address the issue. Consequently, strict action has been initiated against illegal loan applications.

To ensure comprehensive measures, the PTA collaborated with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Minister Haque urged the public to report any fraudulent applications to the relevant authorities, including the PTA, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Cybercrime Wing, and local police.

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Reporting such instances is crucial to curbing the prevalence of scams and protecting others from falling victim to financial exploitation.

Furthermore, Minister Haque contacted the Director General of the FIA to receive a briefing on the progress made so far. He emphasized that the FIA’s cybercrime wing should take automatic action against unscrupulous elements without solely relying on complaints.

The crackdown on online loan apps was initiated by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after the tragic suicide of Muhammad Masood, a 42-year-old man from Rawalpindi. Masood had taken his own life after being subjected to blackmail by online loan apps.