ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 27.5 million active SIMs which could not be verified till May 15 — the revised deadline which ended on Friday.

Some 75.5 million out of total 103 million active subscriber identity modules (SIMs) have been verified by the PTA during its verification drive.

The PTA has accordingly directed Cellular Mobile Operators (CMO) to block all unverified SIMs. However, these SIMs could be unblocked by the owner by visiting any sale channel and performing successful biometric verification, said a PTA press release here Saturday.

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The SIM re-verification drive through Biometric Verification System (BVS), initiated under the directions of National Action Plan, has been successfully completed.

The Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT) and the PTA were tasked to carry-out verification of all existing SIMs through BVS in January 2015.

The task which looked difficult initially as the previous governments failed to do despite demand by law enforcement agencies. However, it could now be made possible through all-out support of relevant stakeholders and dedicated efforts of all particularly, PTA, MoIT, Ministry of Information (MoI), the CMOs and National Database Reconciliation Authority (NADRA).

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The PTA appreciated the people for their support to make the SIMs re-verification process a success considering it to be a national cause.

The MOIT and the PTA undertook measures not only to make the process smooth and transparent but also to facilitate general public.

Extensive awareness campaigns through SMS, electronic (TV & Radio) and digital media were run. In addition, an alternate verification process was deployed to facilitate old age, disabled and overseas Pakistanis.

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The CMOs were asked to re-verify their complete subscribers' bases irrespective of their current status i.e. active or dormant. Some 21 million SIMs were verified from the dormant base while 17 million SIMs were already verified through BVS between August 1, 2014 and January 12, 2015. New SIMs were only issued through the process of BVS.

It is believed that the effects of the re-verification drive shall go a long way in ensuring a safer Pakistan, said the PTA.

After the conclusion of this major milestone, the PTA will now carry out a third party audit of the whole exercise to verify its authenticity.

In this regard, Expression of Interest (EoI) for hiring of a third party auditor has already been floated.