PTA Blocked Over 3.2 Million Phone SIMs in a Year

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked more than 3.2 million SIMs issued against deceased individuals as part of a nationwide campaign to strengthen SIM security and curb illegal usage, according to an official document.

The document states that between July 2024 and June 2025, the PTA, in coordination with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, conducted extensive enforcement actions against unauthorized issuance of local and international SIMs.

A total of 44 raids were carried out in 24 cities targeting local SIM fraud, leading to the confiscation of over 5,300 SIMs, 99 biometric devices and more than 250,000 digital fingerprints, along with 71 arrests.

In parallel, 32 raids were conducted against illegal international SIM sales, resulting in 46 arrests and the seizure of more than 8,000 SIMs. The authority also blocked 83 websites involved in unauthorized SIM sales, disrupting online platforms used for telecom-related fraud.

Large-scale data cleansing measures were also undertaken to remove invalid SIM records from telecom databases.

PTA blocked or recycled more than 891,000 dormant SIMs, disabled 69,000 SIMs issued against cancelled or impounded CNICs, and removed 783,000 SIMs linked with expired CNICs from active operations. Over 179,000 SIMs used by repatriated foreign nationals, including Afghan PoR and ACC cardholders, were blocked.

The document further highlights several technical interventions introduced to prevent illegal SIM issuance, including three-factor authentication for SIM sellers, franchise-level SIM stock binding, geo-fencing of biometric verification system devices within a 100-meter radius, and the enablement of live finger detection features.

These measures aim to close regulatory loopholes, enhance oversight, and strengthen the integrity of Pakistan’s national SIM ecosystem.