Dated. Sourced. Updated as the rules change.
Every SIM and CNIC rule change in Pakistan, logged as it lands — and every entry tied to a PTA notice, a court order or a named outlet. Start with the latest report below, or keep the dated changelog on our PTA SIM news page open in the next tab.
PTA WhatsApp SIM Advisory, Fact-Checked: Who Actually Gets Blocked (2026)
PTA is not banning WhatsApp. Three dated 2026 advisories warn that accounts on inactive, cancelled or unverified SIMs may be blocked - no deadline, no blanket ban. Here is what the record says, who is actually at risk, and the 10-minute fix.
Read MoreeSIM in Pakistan 2026: PTA Caps the Fee at Rs 1,500 and Confirms 10 Free Transfers
PTA has finalised its eSIM charging framework: the initial issuance fee is capped at Rs 1,500 and subscribers get up to 10 free transfers between compatible handsets. Announced 7 August 2026, effective mid-August. What it changes, and what it does not.
Read MoreRAABTA: PTA’s WhatsApp Assistant for SIM Checks — How to Use It (Works From Abroad)
RAABTA is PTA's official WhatsApp assistant on 0315-0055055. Message it to check the SIMs on your own CNIC, verify a device's IMEI status, or file a PTA complaint — and it works for overseas Pakistanis with no local SIM.
Read MoreNADRA Won’t Open Pak ID for Facial SIM Verification: What It Means for You (August 2026)
NADRA has refused to open its Pak ID app for facial SIM verification, disputing PTA's account and saying operators should run their own facial hardware. Reported 25 August 2026. The plan is still not in force, and your own CNIC check is unchanged.
Read MorePTA Plans Facial Verification for SIMs After Fingerprint Failures
PTA told a Senate committee on 16 July 2026 that facial verification for SIMs is planned and a policy for at least 10 free eSIM transfers is being finalized. Neither is in force.
Read MoreGiving Your SIM to Someone Else: PTA’s Warning and Your Liability (2026)
News Report · Repeated PTA Advisory Giving your SIM to another person is a punishable offence, PTA said again on Friday,...
Read MorePTA Tightens SIM Sales and Issuance Rules: What Changes for You (2026)
PTA has told operators to tighten SIM sales and issuance, as reported on 24 July 2026. Biometric verification now covers duplicate SIMs, ownership transfer, SIM disowning and mobile number portability, and new SIMs may be issued only at authorised outlets. PTA has published no numbered circular or start date.
Read MorePTA Penalises All Four Operators Over Illegal SIM Issuance (July 2026)
News Report · Enforcement Orders, Dated One PTA fine; mobile operators, all four. PTA issued eight enforcement orders against Zong, Jazz,...
Read MorePTA SIM Rules Roundup: What Changed and What Held (Mid-July 2026)
Mid-July 2026 SIM roundup: enforcement re-reported (the 3.2M deceased-CNIC enforcement-year tally, three arrests for selling telecom data) versus the rules that held — the 365-day lock, the 8-SIM cap (5 voice + 3 data) and the 8.1M expired-CNIC advisory. Every item dated and sourced.
Read MoreNCCIA Arrests 3 for Selling Telecom Data: Why No SIM Lookup Is Legal
The NCCIA arrested three men in July 2026 for allegedly selling citizens’ telecom data (Pakistan Today, 11 July), plus a Sahiwal raid recovering 329 illegal SIMs. The clearest proof that Pakistan has no legal SIM-owner lookup — only a black market being dismantled — and what to check on your own record instead.
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We publish every update straight to this blog and the dated changelog — nothing hides in a newsletter. Check back after any PTA announcement.