Both India and Pakistan claim that the relations between the two countries are looking better. While both nations claim that trade ties are looking up, there is also an increasing demand that citizens visiting either country have better communication facilities in the form of international roaming. Vicky Nanjappa reports
In 2011, some Pakistan delegates who had visited India said that they were open to permit the use of international roaming, but had added that India would need to reciprocate.
However today, the mood in both countries appears to be open and India is studying the issue seriously before it could restart this facility which it had done briefly in 2004 before banning it again.
The subject of international roaming banned for mobile phone users travelling to Pakistan or to India from either of the countries has been in discussion for quite some time. In fact, in 2004, Airtel had signed the first bilateral roaming agreement with Pakistan.
However, this was in place for only four months and after a review in June 2004, it was decided that it would not be continued. This was because of the apprehensions raised by intelligence agencies of both countries who felt that this would become a boon for terrorists.
Today it is being felt that opening of bilateral trade would be beneficial for the ties between the two countries and in order for this to flourish it would be ideal that international roaming between the two countries is provided.
According to telecom regulations in India, the government reserves the right to permit or ban international roaming in the countries of their choice.
It is stated as per the rules that in the interest of sovereignty and security, India will have the right to ban or permit international roaming.
The bigger question today is what it would do to the security of the country is international roaming is allowed. India feels that it would be a goodwill gesture if international roaming is allowed and even Pakistan appears to be working on the same.
In 2004, when the first bilateral roaming arrangement was signed, there was a lot of misuse from across the border which prompted Indian security agencies to raise the red flag and discontinue the service.
During that year there were various issues that led to the cancellation of the agreement. While terrorism was one of the biggest issues, Indian agencies also quoted cricket betting to another reason which was rampant and emerging out of the underworld based out of Pakistan.
Today, there is a changed approach in the security structure. There appears to be more confidence among security agencies to handle a problem in case phone roaming is opened up.
Moreover, there is also this realisation that tracking of any illegal activity is easier through cell phones. If one may recall during the 26/11 attack when this ban was in place, terrorists used the satellite phones to communicate, which is difficult to trace.
While opening up this service is nothing but a technical formalities and sharing of mobile towers, the other security issues that are to follow would be crucial.
Both countries will have to ensure that information will be provided in case the need arises. However Indian intelligence says that there would still be issues when it comes to opening up these services in Jammu and Kashmir or the North East which are highly-troubled zones.
It becomes very difficult to monitor each and every call in these regions because of the sheer magnitude of the activity, and hence it would be in the interest of security that these areas do not get access to international roaming from Pakistan.
Intelligence agencies have realised that even if international roaming is banned, terrorists have many other, tougher ways to communicate. The view today is that it is easier to track a call when someone is communicating on an open channel. In addition to this, both the countries would also hope that there would be intelligence sharing between the two countries which has been absent all these years.
Security analysts point out that in today's world international roaming is a very minor issue.
"There are other things to worry about and that would be the manner in which terrorists have been communicating. Most of them have been using emails, satellite phones and in the case of homegrown terror they have even adopted the word-of-mouth method. While India has been working on these issues, they would also be holding several meetings to draw out key words that may be used in case someone communicates through a text while on roaming," points out an expert.
The issue has been often spoken about in the recent past in both countries. When a set of journalists from India visited Pakistan, they did praise the hospitality but did complain about the absence of roaming.
Even during a recent India-Pakistan business meet, the delegates had sought the removal of both roaming and visa restrictions for better ties. They felt that it would make sense to have better intelligence sharing and security on the borders rather than ban such services.
