Phone SIMs on Expired CNICs Will Stop Working: PTA

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has warned that mobile SIMs registered against expired, cancelled, or invalid Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) may be suspended or blocked if users fail to update their records.

In a public awareness campaign, the PTA urged mobile subscribers to renew their CNICs before they expire to avoid any disruption to mobile services.

The regulator said SIMs linked to inactive, cancelled, or expired identity cards in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) database could become ineligible under existing regulatory requirements.

The PTA also advised users to update their renewed CNIC details with their respective mobile network operators immediately after obtaining a new identity card to ensure their subscriber information remains accurate.

According to the authority, only SIMs registered against valid and verifiable CNICs will remain active. Subscribers who fail to renew their identity documents and update their records may face suspension or blocking of their mobile connections.