PTA has imposed cumulative penalties of nearly Rs740 million on the country’s four mobile operators after investigations uncovered repeated violations of SIM issuance regulations. The regulator said the companies failed to prevent unauthorized SIM activations and did not maintain proper oversight of their franchise networks and biometric verification systems.
The enforcement actions were taken under Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication Re organization Act, 1996. According to the orders, China Mobile Pakistan, operating as Zong, received fines totaling Rs155.6 million, while Jazz, Telenor Pakistan and Ufone each faced penalties of Rs116.7 million. Ufone was also hit with additional fines of Rs77.8 million and Rs38.9 million in separate cases, bringing the total penalties to around Rs740 million. PTA said the operators repeatedly failed to comply with mandatory subscriber verification requirements despite receiving regulatory directions aimed at curbing illegal SIM sales and identity fraud. The authority found several cases where SIMs were issued and activated against subscribers’ Computerized National Identity Card numbers without their knowledge, consent or physical presence.
One of the most serious cases involved Zong, where a SIM was activated against a subscriber’s CNIC through an authorized franchise in Lahore without the person’s knowledge. A subsequent raid at the franchise led to the recovery of laptops, biometric verification devices and around 150 SIM cards, pointing to significant irregularities in the SIM issuance process. Zong argued the SIM had been activated through NADRA’s biometric verification system, but PTA rejected the defense, stating that successful biometric authentication alone does not remove an operator’s legal responsibility to ensure a SIM is issued lawfully and with genuine consent. Telenor Pakistan faced similar action after investigators found a SIM activated against the same subscriber’s CNIC without her approval, with several biometric devices, laptops and SIM inventory recovered from the franchise premises. PTA also rejected arguments that franchisees operate independently from mobile operators, noting that telecom regulations place full responsibility for every SIM sold on the licensed operator, regardless of whether the sale takes place directly or through an authorized franchise.
Ufone faced multiple enforcement actions after investigations uncovered large scale illegal SIM issuance through its sales channels, including one case where authorities recovered more than 12,600 active SIMs along with biometric verification devices and other equipment allegedly used in unlawful activations. Separate investigations involving Ufone also found instances where SIMs were activated without subscribers consent through franchise outlets in different cities, highlighting persistent weaknesses in monitoring and compliance systems across the operator’s sales network. Jazz was also fined Rs116.7 million for violating regulations governing SIM issuance and biometric verification, with the regulator citing inadequate supervision and weak monitoring of franchise outlets and Biometric Verification System devices. PTA noted that all operators already have detailed compliance procedures in place but failed to effectively monitor franchisees and retailers, allowing repeated violations to continue despite existing safeguards, and added that operators did not properly implement Live Finger Detection technology and geofencing controls meant to prevent identity theft and biometric spoofing. The authority has directed all operators to deposit their respective fines within the prescribed period and warned that further legal action will follow if the companies fail to comply.
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