PTA reviews progress on blocking unverified SIMs

Operators say they will continue to check identity theft.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has said that it has inspected Home Location Registers of cellular mobile operators (CMOs) to ensure the blocking of unverified SIMs.

A PTA team, headed by the director general (enforcement), visited CMO offices on Thursday and Friday to confirm the blocking of SIMs that could not be re-verified beyond September 2013, the PTA says in a press release.

During the visit, PTA – the telecom regulator – examined the progress made by the CMOs on identifying and blocking unverified SIMs. Mobile operators assured the regulator that they would continue efforts to check identity theft that led to activation of SIMs without the knowledge of CNIC holders.



PTA has set up a system called “SIM Information System – 668” in order to ensure that SIMs are registered against the CNIC of the authorised user.

A customer can get the count of each mobile company’s SIMs registered against his CNIC by sending the CNIC number to short code “668”. In case of any data mismatch, the customer can remove extra SIMs issued against his CNIC by requesting the operator concerned.

Users of all SIMs, which are disowned, are then approached by the respective mobile operator to get the SIM registered against their CNIC. Otherwise, they are blocked after 15 days.

PTA has asked people to support the regulator and CMOs by using this system and disown extra SIMs registered against their CNICs without consent.

“PTA is following policy guidelines of the government on blocking and verification of SIMs. It is hoped that the issue of unauthorised SIMs will be resolved through efforts of all stakeholders including the general public,” the regulator said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.

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