Govt Moves to Block SIMs Registered on Expired CNICs

The government has decided to immediately block all SIM cards registered against expired identity cards, with the first phase targeting CNICs issued in 2017 or earlier. “The SIM blocking policy will also be applied to cancelled CNICs issued after 2017 in later phases.”

This decision was finalized during a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at the NADRA headquarters in Islamabad. The meeting, attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and other NADRA officials, resolved that “only the SIMs registered with active identity cards will remain valid.”

NADRA Chairman briefed the attendees on the organization’s digital progress, highlighting the launch of 87 new registration centres and 417 additional counters across the country. He said “the facial recognition system will support citizens who face difficulties with fingerprint verification” and confirmed that “the SIMs registered to deceased individuals or expired identity cards will also be blocked immediately.”

Addressing concerns over data safety, the chairman stressed that biometric data is now housed in local servers but “remains vulnerable to misuse and theft,” urging wider adoption of NADRA’s secure databases and facial recognition systems.

Naqvi also shared expansion plans, noting that NADRA services have now reached 44 tehsils and union councils. “All 31 union councils of Islamabad are expected to have NADRA services by 30 June,” he added.

He approved setting up new regional NADRA offices in Multan, Sukkur, and Gwadar, and instructed that “facial recognition technology be implemented across the country by 31 December 2025,” with the Ministry of Interior overseeing the project.

Concluding the meeting, Naqvi laid the foundation stone for a 10-storey NADRA Mega Centre in Islamabad’s Sector I-8, set for completion by June 2026.