PTA has issued a fresh public warning that mobile SIM cards registered against expired, cancelled, or invalid Computerised National Identity Cards may be suspended or blocked if users fail to update their records, with the advisory forming part of a broader push to tighten compliance in Pakistan’s telecom sector and eliminate the loopholes that have long enabled illegal SIM usage, identity theft, and unregistered mobile communication.
PTA urged mobile subscribers to renew their CNICs before they expire to avoid any disruption to mobile services, with the regulator stating that SIMs linked to inactive, cancelled, or expired identity cards in the NADRA database could become ineligible under existing regulatory requirements. 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. The scale of the problem is significant: over 8.1 million active SIMs are currently linked to approximately 4.5 million CNICs that require renewal, while 223,000 cards have expired for more than a decade. Additionally, 1.5 million SIMs remain registered in the names of deceased persons, and users are advised to transfer them to their own valid CNICs.
According to NADRA data, 27.475 million CNICs, 2.309 million Overseas Cards, 11.65 million Child Registration Certificates, and 0.229 million Juvenile Cards have expired and not been renewed in time, with SMS reminders already sent, including to parents whose children have turned 18 but have yet to obtain their first CNIC. NADRA cautioned that if renewal trends do not improve, additional fees and penalties may be introduced after June for those who continue to delay renewal of their identity documents. Subsequent enforcement phases will target SIMs linked to CNICs cancelled after 2017, with officials confirming that only valid and active CNICs will qualify for the issuance and continuation of SIMs going forward.
For citizens needing to act, PTA and NADRA have outlined clear steps. Users with expired CNICs should visit NADRA Registration Centres, use the Pak-ID Mobile App, or visit nearby eSahulat franchises to initiate renewal. Families of deceased individuals are advised to formally cancel the CNIC of the deceased through NADRA and follow PTA procedures to transfer or deactivate SIMs issued in their names. Citizens can check which SIM cards are currently registered against their CNIC by sending their 13-digit CNIC number to 668 via SMS, a free service available on all major networks that returns an instant reply listing every SIM registered against that identity card, the operator, registration date, and current status, or by visiting the official web portal at cnic.sims.pk. With mobile connectivity now underpinning everything from digital payments and mobile wallets to remote work and two-factor authentication, even a brief SIM suspension can have cascading consequences for citizens who have integrated their phone number deeply into their financial and digital lives.
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