The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority enacted a major regulatory change to tighten the oversight of mobile connections across the country.
According to a report by ARY News, the telecom regulator extended the mandatory retention period for a newly registered Subscriber Identity Module from 60 days to 365 days before a user can officially disown it.
The adjustment means that any active mobile connection secured under a citizen’s name must maintain its registered ownership for a full 12 months, preventing users from quickly discarding or transferring numbers.
This policy shift aims to counter the practice of commercial fraud and the unauthorized use of temporary biometric identities.
Investigations conducted by the regulator revealed that grey market operators frequently exploit short ownership windows to issue SIMs via biometric systems, utilize them for malicious or illegal operations, and subsequently remove them from the original identity holders to cycle through clean profiles.
Under the old rules, subscribers could remove a SIM from their name after just two months, leaving a small regulatory window to track illegal network activities back to specific individuals.
To enforce the rule, mobile network operators updated their database configurations to lock the registration status of all biometrically verified connections for a full year.
The public can continue to check the total count of numbers registered under their Computerized National Identity Card by sending their 13 digit number via SMS to short code 668 or by checking the central tracking portal at cnic.sims.pk.
If an unauthorized or fraudulent registration is detected on a profile, the consumer must approach their respective mobile carrier directly to file a dispute and initiate a manual correction protocol.
The stricter timeline comes alongside an ongoing cleanup campaign targeting identities that do not comply with the latest National Database and Registration Authority verification requirements.
The telecom authority recently warned that connections associated with expired, cancelled, or deceased identity cards are being targeted for systematic blacklisting.
Users must ensure that their identification documents remain valid with their respective network operators to avoid any sudden suspension of service or network disconnects.
The financial framework regarding connection changes also remains heavily regulated following the implementation of the baseline service fee structures.
Telecom operators can charge a penalty of up to 200 rupees for certain quick disowning actions, though exemptions exist for documented identity theft.
The regulator stated that citizens must remain cautious while providing biometric verification for the issuance of SIM cards and avoid allowing others to use their credentials.
