Highlights
- All SIMs issued prior to 1st August 2014, will be required to be re-verified
- Un-verified SIMs after deadline (to be announced later) will be blocked
- Re-verification exercise is to start with-in a week of notification
- Re-verification exercise to take an year
After plenty of discussion, cellular operators, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Ministry of IT and Telecom and Ministry of Interior are close to reaching an agreement on re-verification of SIMs in Pakistan, we have confirmed with sources.
Sources tell ProPakistani that a final decision is likely to be made with-in next two days, after which the process of re-verification of SIMs will start from January 12th-15th, 2015.
According to the plan — which isn’t confirmed and final as of now — re-verification of each and every SIM in Pakistan will take place in five phases. After the completion of exercise, which can take an year, not a single SIM will be left without biometric verification.
Plan is mutually chalked out by stake-holders, while Ministry of Interior is still pushing for an early completion of cent-percent re-verification of SIMs.
Categorization of Customers
According to sources, the plan, which is now in final phases of discussion, looks like following:
- Total number of SIMs that are to be verified: 103 million
- Subscribers are divided in two categories based on their location
- Subscribers in troubled areas: Karachi, Peshawar, DI Khan, DG Khan Cities, Border Areas (FATA) & Balochistan Province
- Subscribers in remaining areas: Rest of Pakistan
According to sources,
- Subscribers in troubled areas are further divided into two categories:
- Grey List: Subscribers having 3 and more SIMs per CNIC per operator
- White-List: Subscribers having 2 or less SIMs per CNIC per operator
- Subscribers in Rest of Pakistan are also divided into two categories
- Grey List: Subscribers with more than 3 SIMs on single CNIC per operator
- White List 1: 2 SIM per CNIC per operator
- White List 2: 1 SIM per CNIC per operator
Total Number of SIMs to be Reverified
According to data provided by telcos, following is the number of subscribers that need re-verification:
- In troubled Areas:
- Grey List: 7 million
- White List: 14 million
- Rest of Pakistan
- Grey List: 23 million
- White-List 2: 18 million
- White-List 2: 41 million
- Total: 103 million
Just if you are interested in knowing,
- 17 million SIMs are already verified
- 14 million SIMs were blocked in Nov-Dec 2014
- Postpaid subscribers won’t need re-verification
According to information we have received so far, these 103 million customers will be re-verified in around an year in five phases. Below are the details and timeline for each phase:
Phase 1
- Target: Re-verification of Grey List from troubled areas
- Starting Date: With-in a week of the notification
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Target SIMs: 7 million
Phase 2
- Target:
- Re-verification of White-List from troubled areas
- Grey List (Rest of Pakistan)
- Starting Date: February 28th, 2015
- Duration: 12 week
- Target SIMs:
- Re-verification of White-List from troubled areas: 14 million
- Grey List (Rest of Pakistan): 23 million
- Total: 37 million
- 20 Million Additional Subscribers are Expected to Approach BVS Devices for Re-Verification
By the end of phase 2 some 47 million SIMs would be verified.
Phase 3
- Blocking of SIMs: 1st Blocking of Non-Verified Subscribers from Phase-1 and Phase 2 on May 1st 2015
- Target: Rest of Pakistan – White List 2 (2 SIMs per CNIC per operator)
- Starting Date: May 1st, 2015
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Target SIMs: 18 million
Phase 4
- Blocking of SIMs: 2nd Blocking of Non-Verified Subscribers from phase 3 on July 31st, 2015
- Target: White-List 1 from Rest of Pakistan (1 SIM per CNIC per operator)
- Starting Date: July 31st, 2015
- Duration: 16 weeks
- Target SIMs: 41 Million
Phase 5
- Blocking of SIMs: 2nd Blocking of Non-Verified Subscribers from phase 4 on July 31st, 2015
- Verification of any subscriber who was previously blocked
Up-gradation of BVS System Required
Mobile phone companies will have to update the sofware for their BVS devices as currently only new sales, SIM replacements and MNP customers are verified through BVS devices.
With new software update, any customer would be able to go and get their SIMs verified — even for their currently operating SIMs.
The process for upgrading the software is already on the go. According to the officials we have spoken with, mobile phone companies have already started on their readiness for the start of re-verification of SIMs.
Awareness Campaign
A massive media campaign/SMS broadcast will be on-aired for the customers to get their SIMs re-verified. Deadline for blocking of SIMs will be clearly communicated to customers.
Customers’ Responsibility
Once the upgrade module is loaded into BVS devices and re-verification of SIMs is started, customer will have to go to service centres, franchises and retail outlets to get their numbers verified.
The exercise shall start shortly across the country and there will be a great rush at the designated places, therefore, it is to intimate ProPakistani readers to start early and avoid long queues at a later time.
Things to do:
- Check total number of SIMs against a CNIC by sending CNIC number without dashes to 668. You shall receive the count of Sims on all mobile operators.
- Go to nearest service centre, franchise or retail outlet of your operator
- Carry your original CNIC.
- You will have to present their thumb impression for biometric verification
- After verification, a list of SIMs will be displayed registered against your CNIC
- You can either keep the SIMs registered in your name, and those number blocked that you don’t posses
- Once done, all SIMs against your CNIC will be tagged as verified.
Your respective mobile companies shall also inform through SMS/media campaign giving a deadline after which your un-verified shall be blocked.
You can share this with your friends so they are prepared as well.
Please Note
As mentioned above, this plan isn’t confirmed and final as of today. There is a meeting planned tomorrow and day after tomorrow where everything will be finalized. According to sources, telcos are pretty much okay with the above plan, however, Ministry of Interior is trying to squeeze schedule for the the re-verification.
As you can expect, ProPakistani will make sure that you are updated with the decisions as soon as they made.
Please what about us living in abroad having IR.
hmmmm
What If Customer have more than 5 Sims per CNIC?
You cannot have 5 SIMS per CNIC
most of my friends have more than 5 sims on per cnic
few years back – before 2011 people have family sims on single name & i know many people that have even eight sims active (as of today) on their name & all are being used as family #s
I have 19 registered on my cnic.
Why don’t u gift them along with QMobiles? :P
I have 12 SIMs on my CNIC, and my dad has 8.
I have 11 against my name. 10 of them arent used by me…
بیرونی ممالک میں جو لوگ سم ساتھ لے کر آئے ہیں ان کی سم کارڈ بند ہونے کا خطرہ ہے
if you can inquire about the process ‘people who are living abroad’. thanks
I will.
Agar nic pe ak hi sim activate ho jo tamam network support kre yani user jis cellular company ko chahe activate kr le is terha is jhanjhat se nijat milsakti 18 sall se kam k lea bayform lazmi hona chahea
rules applicable to prepaid only or both Pre+post ?
Just prepaid
Good Initiative by the Telecom operators and the Government. I would suggest that this should not be a One time exercise. Once all the SIMs have been verified, they should repeat it again, and keep repeating it, just like Polio Vaccination Campaigns until all the Evils in this country have been fixed.
There we have it ladies and gentlemen: Abu Zaid’s solution to Pakistan’s unemployment problem. Soon every third income earner in Pakistan will be a full-time SIM verification expert!
lol ^^
actually you are telling him your next job.
currently you are self made comment expert
I am certainly self-made, without relying on a loser’s profile like you.
Don’t get jealous shahid. My advice for you to see Psychiatrist ASAP
nice step by Government,we should appreciate good steps.
f*ck the govt and their ‘good’ steps.
Why is that so?
“Postpaid subscribers won’t need re-verification.”
Sadly I am sure it will happen anyway. I checked recently and was shocked to find extra SIM registered in my name by more than one telecom company. Even though I am postpaid, by going through the process of blocking those SIMs I will go through the same verification process.
And I am sure I am not the only postpaid person with this problem.
Righteously said brother, one rule for all should be observed.
And may our Nation rise again across the horizon iA. :)
I was shocked to know that there are 8 SIMs registered on my CNIC. I am postpaid customer. I went to every company’s office to block them all.
As did I (6 extra SIM). Just three weeks ago. And I checked again a few days ago and found 2 added back. So again today I am going back to Ufone and MObilink offices to waste my afternoon.
Even 668 System is not up to date. The SIM I activated recently is not listed on 668 system and yes I registered that SIM through BVS!
I reckon its going to take a week or so (maybe).
What about the people having 3 SIMs per operator in rest of Pakistan in which list they are in?
@Aamir7 What will happen about those SIMS registered with B-Form? I am very worried.
With 17 million SIMs blocked, current number of mobile subscribers stands at 121 million, so not sure why PTA keeps issuing a figure of 138 million. This needs to be corrected and operators need to reissue strength of their subscriber base.
I like this exercise of re-verifying SIMs as it will:
1. Address bogus sales data by telcos and we will get to know how many subscribers they actually have.
2. Curb grey traffic as most of these SIMs will finally be blocked.
3. Eliminate 1 CNIC, multiple SIM issue.
4. Lead to better tracking and crime reduction by LEAs.
if they blocked the sims will the blocked sims will remove from CNIC or not? I have 6 sims on y CNIC have 4 sims of ufone, 1 telenor and 1 jazz have spare 2 sims of ufone which I wanted to be blocked so then I will have remaining 4 sims which I am using but the problem is my duty timing from 0730 to 1930 have just holiday on sunday how do I reach the customer service centre which is quite far from my duty place and I can’t get leave should I give my original CNIC to my brother with an Stamp paper authority letter will they blocked the sims?????
There are lot of countries where obtaining a prepaid SIM is as easy as 1-2-3, anyone give writer up for researching and writing and articles on this ?
I will pay Rs.500 if the research & article is of quality and published here on propakistani :)
P.S: I might be making off-topic comment but wanted this to be out,so writing here.
can you pls explain a lil more? I didn’t fully get you.
I am not sure as how do I explain this to you more,however what I was looking for is as below
Let me give you an example of visiting Thailand.There I just went to oneten supermarket, paid him, and I had an already active sim in hand that I readily used during my stay there.
as you previously referenced the GSMA research paper. I want someone to research number of countries and their SOPS regarding selling / activation of sim and more importantly why these countries don’t associate their terrorist activities to their cellular providers ?
Have you got my point or should I try to pull any other example / illustration for description ?
I am not interested
No surprise there. You have made up your mind regardless of the facts. Typical.
@Aamir7 What about the SIMS registered with B-Form? How these SIMS will be verified?
@aamir7:disqus you got my point?
Any comment / thoughts on this ?
Shall I take comment of ,”@Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain” as yours / admin’s comment via different alias ?
What about over seas Pakistanis? How will we verify our SIMs?
i will verify my sim for 4th time.. :(
Ye to boht acha hova na…….. Men ne akele ne 500+ Sims activate ki then… Target 2500 Ufone sims ka tha jo k 10 days men pura ho gya tha… bs 5 Dost thy hum :)
These things are good but those persons whose NIC r isssuing in 2002,2003,&2004 r failed 2 reverify their sims bcoz there is no record of thumb impression in NADRA so i think 30 percent failed during this process and revenues falls 4 telecom operators and government also
OKay it makes sense….. According to PTA data i have 11 SIMS isssued against my CNIC , thats wow!!! And i only use one of them and that Postpaid (warid) means 10 of the sims are being misused. (6(telenor), 2(ufone), 2(mobilink))