PTA Blocks 1.84 Million Illegal SIMs in Seven Months as Crackdown Intensifies

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has significantly stepped up its campaign against the misuse of SIM cards and the illegal sale of foreign SIMs, blocking more than 1.84 million illegal SIMs over the past seven months, according to official figures.

PTA officials said that 1,838,689 illegal SIMs have been blocked during the ongoing crackdown. Of these, 691,102 SIMs were blocked since January as part of continued efforts to curb unauthorized mobile connections and strengthen digital security.

The regulator also took action against SIMs registered in the names of deceased individuals. According to the PTA, 903,230 SIMs linked to the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of deceased persons have been blocked.

Officials said the action was taken after repeated public warnings advising users to deactivate SIMs registered against the CNICs of deceased family members. Despite those warnings, many such connections remained active, prompting regulatory action.

In addition, the PTA blocked 244,357 SIMs that were registered against cancelled or expired CNICs as part of its ongoing verification drive.

The authority said it is continuing joint enforcement operations with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to eliminate the illegal use of SIM cards and the sale of foreign SIMs across the country.

According to the PTA, 25 joint raids conducted with the NCCIA resulted in the recovery of 8,051 illegal foreign SIMs. The operations also led to the arrest of 37 suspects allegedly involved in the illegal SIM trade.

The PTA said the nationwide crackdown will continue as part of broader efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s telecommunications security, prevent identity misuse, and combat cybercrime facilitated through unauthorized mobile connections.

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