The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced its decision to block SIM cards issued to expired, canceled, or deceased individuals’ ID cards to control the illegal use of mobile SIMs
Sources stated that in order to tackle the issue, PTA has acquired data from NADRA and will take action with SIM termination in three stages.
- PTA announced that in phase one, all the SIMs that were issued under cancelled CNICs will be blocked by August 16.
- IN phase 2, those under expired CNICs will also be blocked by September 2.
- And in third phase, SIMs associated to deceased individuals will be blocked by PTA on October 15.
In order to get the deceased’s SIMs transferred in consumers name, the authority has said that the consumers would need to provide original death certificate and proof to relation. The PTA has requested information from NADRA regarding ID cards that have been canceled or expired, along with information about deceased individuals.
The PTA has started a public awareness campaign to inform subscribers by sending alerts to the SIMs it plans to block. The authority emphasizes how important it is to confirm and update user information, in order to protect users from any issues.
PTA stresses that illegal SIM usage will not be tolerated, as fake SIMs are being used in various illegal activities. The authority is determined to eliminate this menace and ensure the integrity of the telecom sector. By blocking illegal SIMs, the PTA hopes to curb criminal activities and promote a safer digital environment.
The authority is dead set on eliminating this threat and provide a secure digital environment. The PTA has made it clear that illegal SIM usage will not be tolerated, as they are being used in several criminal and they will block the SIMs.
This is why the authority is implementing a phase-wise approach that ensures a systematic and efficient blocking process.
