ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommuni­cation Authority (PTA) will block SIM cards that have been registered against CNICs that have been cancelled, expired or belong to deceased persons.

The PTA has begun obtaining data of those whose ID cards have been cancelled or expired, as well as people who are deceased.

According to reports, the regulator has already started sending messages to users whose SIMs are at risk of being blocked under any of these criteria.

SIMs belonging to those whose ID cards have been cancelled will be blocked from Aug 16.

In addition, SIM cards issued against CNICs that have expired since 2017 and not been renewed will be blocked, and such users have been given until Sept 2 to get their ID cards renewed from Nadra.

People who are using numbers registered in the name of deceased persons will have until Sept 15 to get the SIM cards transferred to their own name. In order to have the number transferred, users will be required to present the original death certificate of the deceased person.

The authority has initiated a public information campaign in this regard as well.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024