PTA: One CNIC Can Hold Up to Five Registered SIMs; Enforcement Details from NA Committee Meeting

# What the PTA announced

The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) briefed the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior that a single Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) can be used to register up to five active SIM cards. Once a person has five SIMs registered under the same CNIC, the PTA will not permit issuance of a sixth SIM using that CNIC.

# Enforcement activity and scale

The PTA reported recent coordinated enforcement against illegal SIM use and cybercrime. Actions included 125 raids conducted with law enforcement. Those operations produced the recovery of 25,000 SIM cards and led to 171 arrests. Separately, the regulator has blocked about 1.8 million SIM cards over the past two and a half to three years.

# Biometric data and security work with NADRA

During the operations, authorities also recovered biometric records linked to roughly 600,000 individuals. The PTA flagged that where biometric information is stored there can be a risk of leakage. The regulator said it is working with NADRA to upgrade systems and strengthen biometric-data security.

# Role of mobile operators

The PTA said mobile companies are part of efforts to prevent misuse of SIMs. That includes tightening processes that rely on biometric verification and improving controls so illegal SIMs can be identified and blocked more effectively.

# What this means for citizens

If you already have five SIMs registered to your CNIC, you will not be able to acquire another SIM using the same CNIC. The PTA's enforcement actions show regulators are actively targeting illegal SIM distribution and operations that facilitate cybercrime. Expect continued coordination between PTA, NADRA, and mobile operators on verification and data security.

# Immediate takeaways for stakeholders

• Mobile operators: Will be involved in tightening verification and preventing illegal activations.

The PTA presented these details in a committee session focused on interior security and cybercrime prevention. The announced limit and enforcement figures define the regulator's current posture on illegal SIM circulation and biometric-data protection.