The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday said its audit found no breaches in the licensed telecom sector following reports of a mobile SIM data leak.
Media reports claimed that the data of all SIM holders, including Interior Minister Naqvi, was up for sale, with mobile location information priced at Rs500, call and data records at Rs2,000, and details of foreign trips at Rs5,000.
A couple of months ago, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team of Pakistan (PKCERT) issued an advisory warning that the login credentials and passwords of more than 180 million internet users in Pakistan were stolen in a global data breach, urging people to take immediate protective measures. Media reports said PKCERT had identified the global breach involving a publicly accessible, unencrypted file containing more than 184m unique account credentials.
Responding to the matter today, the PTA said it had taken notice of the media reports on the alleged availability of subscriber data online.
“PTA clarifies it does not hold or manage subscriber data, which remains solely with licensed operators.
“Initial review shows the reported datasets include family details, travel records, vehicle registrations, and CNIC copies, indicating aggregation from multiple external sources, not telecom operators. PTA’s audits have found no breaches within the licensed sector,” the authority said.
It added that in its ongoing crackdown on unlawful content, it had blocked 1,372 sites, apps and social media pages involved in selling or sharing personal data.
The PTA pointed out that the Ministry of Interior has already formed an inquiry committee, which is probing into the matter.
In March 2024, a joint investigation team formed to probe a data leak from the National Database and Registration Authority told the interior ministry that the credentials of as many as 2.7m people had been compromised between 2019 and 2023.
