The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has imposed a combined fine of Rs 740 million on the country's four major mobile operators for issuing illegal SIM cards. Jazz, Telenor, Zong and Ufone were penalised for registering SIMs without the consent of the CNIC holders in whose names the connections were issued.
PTA says the companies failed to properly supervise their franchisees and biometric verification systems. That gap allowed a large number of unauthorised SIMs to be registered in the names of innocent people, creating serious risks of identity theft, cybercrime and financial fraud.
The operators have been told to pay the penalties within the given time. If they fail to comply, they may face further legal action. PTA holds the companies fully responsible for every SIM issued on their networks, including those sold through third party sellers.
The fine reflects a wider push to clean up SIM registration. The authority regularly raids illegal sellers and blocks fake or misused SIMs.
Citizens are advised to check which SIMs are registered against their CNIC through PTA's helpline at 0800 55055 or the online portal, and to report any unknown numbers at once. People should buy new SIMs only from authorised shops and never share personal details with strangers.
