PTA to block SIMs in three phases; details here

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has devised a comprehensive plan to block Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) of users in three phases, starting from August 16.

According to sources within PTA, the authority has received data from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and will initiate the blocking process in the following phases:

Phase 1: SIMs registered on fake and canceled CNICs will be blocked.

Phase 2: SIMs registered on expired CNICs will be blocked.

Phase 3: SIMs registered under CNICs of deceased persons will be blocked.

Subscribers have already started receiving messages on their SIMs regarding the impending blockage. This move aims to curb the use of fake and expired CNICs for SIM registration, ensuring a more secure and authentic mobile phone user base.

In a separate development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has barred the federal government from blocking the Subscriber Identity Modules of non-filers.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by a telecom operator, challenging Clause 114-B of the Income Tax Ordinance and the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Income Tax General Orders against non-filers.

The petitioner argued that the tax regulator’s new authority violated the fundamental right to freedom of business under Article 18 of the Constitution.