The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday warned that SIMs linked to cancelled or expired CNICs, or those registered under the names of deceased individuals, may be blocked, as it urged citizens to ensure their CNICs are valid.
In a statement, the regulator emphasized the importance of seamless mobile connectivity for all telecom users and advised cellular mobile users to ensure their CNICs are valid and up to date. For individuals whose CNICs have expired, the PTA stressed upon speedy renewal. It also advised anyone facing suspension of their SIM to resolve any pending issues with NADRA and ensure their SIM is not registered against the CNIC of a deceased person to avoid service disruption.
The PTA maintained the decision reflects its commitment to safeguarding consumer interests while promoting a secure, compliant, and reliable telecom ecosystem across the country.
The advisory followed a statement issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) warning that millions of identity cards and other official documents had expired and not been updated. It said it was a legal obligation on citizens to renew all identity documents before expiry to avoid disruption of essential services. “Failure to renew the CNIC in a timely manner may result in bank accounts, mobile SIMs, and other verification facilities being affected or suspended,” it warned, adding expired CNICs could also impact government subsidies and transfers of property and vehicles.
According to NADRA, 27.4 million CNICs, 2.309 million overseas cards, 11.6 million children’s registration certificates, and 229,000 juvenile cards have expired. It said reminders had been sent to the impacted citizens via SMS.
“At present, more than 8.1 million SIMs are active on 4.5 million expired identity cards, while 223,000 identity cards have been expired for more than 10 years,” it said, advising citizens to transfer approximately 1.5 million SIMs registered in the names of deceased relatives to their own names.