How to check if your passport number is misused to register an illegal mobile phone

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) while briefing the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Khan revealed that the data of around 44,943 international passengers have been stolen to unlock illegal/smuggled mobile phones.

Documents shared by the authorities reveal that travels documents such as Passport and CNIC details of around 45,000 passengers who traveled to Pakistan were stolen and misused to register illegal and smuggled phones in the country. The misuse of passport and CNIC number has started since the implementation of Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).

There are many travelers including the overseas Pakistanis, who are in doubt about their data being misused. If you are one of those international travelers or an overseas Pakistani, follow the steps below to find out if your data is safe or not.

• Go to the PTA’s official website
• Click on the Online Mobile Registration Tab
• Click on the Sign-up option to create a new account
• Add your details in the given form
• After filling out the form, if you receive an error message popping up from the top right corner of the screen saying (User with that Pa already exists, please try again), it means that someone has stolen your passport number.

Now in case you receive an error message, you need to file a complaint at the official email of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. To file a complaint follow the below-mentioned steps.

• Go to PTA’s official website
• Select the Contact Us option from the top right corner of the screen
• Click on the Complaints tab
• Copy the Email-id, which is “complaint@pta.gov.pk”
• Send your passport number and the relevant detail at the email given above