PTA has issued a public advisory urging mobile users across Pakistan to activate a free data protection service available on all major telecom networks, warning that consumers may be unknowingly incurring additional charges on their mobile balance once their subscribed data bundles are exhausted. The advisory, released on March 19, 2026, in Islamabad, highlights a common but often overlooked aspect of mobile data billing in Pakistan, where internet connectivity does not automatically stop when a bundle runs out but instead continues to function at significantly higher Pay-As-You-Go rates, silently drawing from the user’s remaining balance.
To address this concern, all four major mobile operators in Pakistan offer a free service commonly referred to as Balance Save or a Pay-As-You-Go blocker, which automatically halts internet usage once an active data bundle has been fully consumed, preventing any further deductions from the subscriber’s account. PTA has shared the activation codes for each operator to make it easier for users to enable the service without navigating through customer service channels. Jazz users can activate the service by dialling the code consisting of an asterisk, 275, and a hash sign. Zong users should dial the code with 4004, Ufone users can use the code with 6611, and Telenor Pakistan subscribers can activate the feature using the code with 342, all following the same asterisk and hash format.
PTA emphasised that enabling this feature is a straightforward and cost-free step that can protect consumers from unexpected financial deductions and help them manage their mobile data usage with greater awareness and control. The advisory reflects PTA’s broader mandate of safeguarding consumer interests and promoting transparency across Pakistan’s telecom services landscape, a commitment that has taken on added relevance as the country transitions into the fifth-generation connectivity era and mobile data consumption continues to rise across all segments of the population.
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