The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Friday revised its SIM activation and deactivation policy, extending the restriction period for newly issued SIMs from 60 days to 365 days, in a move aimed at curbing identity misuse and illegal SIM issuance.
According to officials, the change has been introduced to strengthen regulatory oversight and prevent unauthorized registration and fraudulent use of mobile connections.
The development came after social media posts went viral claiming that under the revised framework, a newly activated SIM cannot be deactivated or transferred to another individual for one year. PTA has since confirmed the policy shift, stating that newly issued SIMs are subject to stricter controls during the initial activation period.
PTA Director General (DG) (International Relations and Government Affairs Division), Ahmed Shamim said that a newly activated SIM cannot be deactivated before the completion of one year under the updated rules.
The authority maintained that the measure is part of broader efforts to enhance transparency in the telecom sector and eliminate the misuse of biometric verification systems used for SIM issuance.
Citizens have been advised to exercise caution during biometric verification when obtaining new SIMs, as the activation will now carry longer-term restrictions.
PTA has also urged users to regularly monitor SIMs registered against their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC). For verification, users can check their registered numbers through the official portal CNIC.sims.pk or by sending their CNIC number (without dashes) to 668.
The regulator said the move was intended to ensure greater security and accountability within Pakistan’s mobile communication ecosystem.