The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a public warning urging citizens to remain cautious about SIM cards registered under their names. The regulator emphasized that individuals must regularly verify how many SIMs are linked to their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to avoid potential misuse and legal complications.
According to PTA, giving your SIM card to someone else is considered a legal offense in Pakistan. If a SIM registered in your name is used for any illegal activity, the registered owner may face serious consequences during investigations. Therefore, citizens are strongly advised to keep track of all mobile numbers issued against their CNIC.
To make this process easier, PTA has provided a simple online system that allows users to check how many SIM cards are registered under their identity. Citizens can visit the official SIM information portal at cnic.sims.pk and enter their CNIC number to view the number of active SIMs associated with each mobile network operator.
Another convenient method is through SMS verification. Mobile users can send their CNIC number (without dashes) to 668 from their mobile phone. Within a few seconds, they will receive a message showing the total number of SIMs registered on their CNIC across different telecom operators.
PTA has strongly advised the public to immediately block any unknown or unauthorized SIM cards that appear in their records. This step is essential to prevent identity misuse, fraud, or criminal activity that could be carried out using SIMs registered under someone else’s name.
The authority also reminded citizens to purchase new SIM cards only from authorized franchises or official customer service centers of mobile network operators. Buying SIMs from unauthorized vendors can increase the risk of illegal registration and identity theft.
For additional information or assistance, users can visit the official PTA website at pta.gov.pk or contact the PTA helpline 0800-55055, which is available toll-free.
PTA urges everyone to stay alert, verify their SIM registrations regularly, and ensure that their identity is not being misused.