Pakistan’s telecom regulator has ordered that fraudulent SIMs be blocked immediately across all mobile networks, issuing one of the tightest subscriber verification orders the country has seen. The new rules, published through SRO 1519(I)/2026 in the Gazette of Pakistan under the Subscriber Antecedents Verification (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026, put a hard legal deadline on operators who have for years struggled to contain illegal mobile connections.
What the New PTA Order Actually Says
PTA has tightened SIM verification rules, ordering telecom operators to block fraudulently issued SIMs immediately, setting a 60-day deadline for transferring SIM ownership linked to deceased individuals, and requiring operators to block SIMs linked to cancelled, confiscated, or impounded CNICs within five days.
The changes aim to strengthen subscriber verification through an automated information-sharing system with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). In simple terms, the moment NADRA flags a CNIC as dead, cancelled, or invalid, the clock starts ticking for that SIM.
According to the notification, NADRA will inform telecom operators when a CNIC or NICOP holder dies. Operators must then send SMS alerts to all SIMs registered in that person’s name, asking recipients to transfer ownership within 60 days. If ownership is not transferred within the deadline, the affected SIMs will be blocked.
After receiving information about a cancelled or impounded CNIC from NADRA, the operator sends the subscriber an SMS stating why the SIM is about to be blocked, then blocks the SIM within five days, unless NADRA updates the document’s status before the period ends. A blocked SIM can be restored once the identity document is confirmed as restored.
Why PTA Is Pushing So Hard on Fraudulent SIMs Blocked
The scale of the problem explains the urgency. PTA informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics that approximately 18.2 million SIMs had been deactivated during the past two and a half years. Yet fraud kept spreading, which tells you that blocking alone is not enough without closing the loopholes that let illegal SIMs get issued in the first place.
Of the 18.2 million illegal SIMs blocked, 7.9 million were identified through pattern-based blocking, 2.1 million belonged to Afghan ACC/POR card holders, and a large share were linked to cancelled, impounded, or deceased CNICs.
SIM fraud in Pakistan caused losses in the range of Rs 22.5 billion in 2025. This includes fraud done through SIM swaps, fake SIM registrations, unauthorized duplication, and misuse of OTPs sent to stolen numbers.
Enforcement actions have also hit operators hard financially. Between January 2024 and August 2026, the PTA conducted 90 raids in 40 cities across Pakistan targeting illegal Pakistani SIM operations, seizing more than 29,346 SIMs, 234 biometric devices, and 602,000 paper-based digital fingerprints, leading to 134 arrests.
The Franchise Problem No One Wants to Talk About
Here is the angle that most coverage skips: the biggest threat is not some shadowy hacker. It is the franchise agent sitting at the point of sale. Unauthorized SIMs are frequently a franchise-side failure, not something that requires any mistake on the subscriber’s part. When a SIM is activated against a CNIC without the owner’s knowledge, the problem usually starts at the point of sale.
SIM-sale devices have been geofenced within 100 metres of designated sale locations to prevent unauthorised movement, and access to SIM-sale devices has been restricted to a maximum of two users per device to establish accountability in cases of illegal issuance.
SIM sales are now prohibited between midnight and 6am, and the SIM disowning period has been extended from 60 to 365 days. These are smart technical controls, but they work only if the network of franchise agents is actually monitored. PTA’s own data suggests thousands of agents have bypassed biometric checks using fake fingerprints made from paper, silicon, and nylon materials. The new NADRA link creates a live feed that is harder to cheat, which is the real step forward here.
What Ordinary Pakistanis Should Do Right Now
The order protects you, but only if you are paying attention. If you have never run a SIM audit, someone could already be using a connection in your name. The official way to check is through PTA’s pta.gov.pk portal or by dialling 668 from any mobile number to see all SIMs registered against your CNIC.
If you find an unknown SIM on your CNIC, visit your nearest franchise with your original CNIC and request removal. You can also submit a disowning request online. Families of recently deceased relatives should note the 60-day transfer window and act quickly to avoid losing a number they may still need. The updated rules from NADRA mean that expired identity documents now directly trigger SIM reviews, so renewing your CNIC promptly is no longer optional if you want to keep your lines active.
Given that fraudulent SIMs are blocked on the basis of CNIC status, keeping your NADRA records current is now a direct telecom issue, not just a paperwork formality. This connection between identity documents and mobile connections is new, and most Pakistanis have not registered what it means for their daily life.
For context on how Pakistan’s broader connectivity push links to these identity challenges, see our coverage of USF Pakistan’s subsidy programme crossing $1 billion across 158 projects, which is expanding mobile access to areas where verification infrastructure is still thin.
The Enforcement Challenge Ahead
Rules on paper are one thing. Making them stick is another. The new regulation relies on real-time data from NADRA flowing smoothly to all four major operators. Any gap in that data pipeline means fraudulent SIMs slip through. Operators also need to invest in systems that can process NADRA alerts at scale, given that there are over 200 million active SIMs in Pakistan and thousands of new activations every day.
The Rs 4.2 billion in fines already imposed shows PTA is willing to punish operators who fall short. But the real test is whether the NADRA-operator link becomes genuinely automated and tamper-resistant, or whether it becomes another checkbox that fraud networks learn to work around.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the new PTA order mean for my SIM?
If your SIM was issued through fraud, operators must now block it without delay under the new rules. If your CNIC is cancelled or impounded, your SIM will be blocked within five days. If your SIM is registered to a deceased person, the family has 60 days to transfer ownership or the SIM goes offline.
How can I check whether an unknown SIM is registered on my CNIC?
Dial 668 from any Pakistani mobile number. You will receive a list of all SIMs registered against your CNIC. You can also visit pta.gov.pk for the online verification tool. PTA recommends checking at least once a month.
My CNIC has expired. Will my SIM be blocked?
PTA flagged roughly 8.1 million SIMs sitting on about 4.5 million CNICs that had expired or were due for renewal, plus around 1.5 million connections on deceased persons’ CNICs. The notice urged renewal through NADRA followed by a record update at the operator. Renew your CNIC at NADRA as soon as possible, then visit your telecom franchise to update your records.
What should a family do if a relative has passed away and left active SIMs?
NADRA will inform telecom operators when a CNIC holder dies. Operators must then send SMS alerts to all SIMs registered in that person’s name, asking recipients to transfer ownership within 60 days. If ownership is not transferred within the deadline, the affected SIMs will be blocked. Visit your operator’s franchise with the deceased’s CNIC and death certificate to begin the transfer process promptly.
