The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has imposed a massive PKR 116.7 million fine on Telenor Pakistan. The regulator discovered severe violations of SIM sale and activation rules. Consequently, the PTA penalized the telecom operator under Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996. Telenor now has exactly 10 days to deposit the fine or face further legal action.
The Illegal Peshawar Operations
The investigation started with an illegal sales channel in Peshawar. On August 19, 2025, PTA officials surveyed a Telenor sales stall operating inside the Khyber Teaching Hospital. Telenor ran this kiosk without prior regulatory approval. Furthermore, the operator at the stall lacked any proof of authorization or a unique sales identification number.
During the inspection, the PTA uncovered a massive security risk. Telenor had illegally extended its customer relationship management (CRM) services to a distribution sales officer (DSO) through a VPN connection. Normally, the PTA strictly restricts these CRM services to official franchise outlets. Therefore, this illegal extension allowed the stall operator to perform highly sensitive functions. The operator could disown SIMs, replace SIMs, and activate new SIMs using Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and Afghan Proof of Registration (POR) cards.
A Botched Cover-Up Attempt by Telenor Pakistan
Following the initial raid, the PTA demanded an explanation. Telenor claimed they took immediate action. The company told the regulator that they terminated the customer relations officer (CRO) involved. Additionally, Telenor claimed they fined the franchisee PKR 75,000 and reset all access rights.
However, the PTA decided to verify these claims. On September 13, 2025, the PTA’s Peshawar Zonal Office conducted a follow-up inspection. Officials found the exact same CRO operating openly from the exact same stall. Moreover, the individual still used the same franchise credentials and equipment to sell SIMs without PTA approval. Ultimately, this discovery directly exposed Telenor’s false claims about terminating the employee and fixing the issue.
PTA Rejects Telenor’s Excuses
In its defense, Telenor blamed a rogue franchise employee. The company argued the individual acted independently and completely outside the company’s knowledge or operational systems. Telenor also claimed no actual SIM sales or CRM transactions went through its network. Furthermore, the operator argued that legally, independently owned franchisees are separate from the main company.
The PTA completely rejected this argument. The authority pointed directly to the Subscribers Antecedents Verification Regulations, 2015. Under these rules, the telecom operator remains solely responsible for any SIM sold “by any means”.
The regulator expressed deep dissatisfaction with Telenor’s internal enforcement. Telenor failed to conduct regular inspections of its retailers. Consequently, the PTA ruled that Telenor’s illegal kiosk activity, unauthorized CRM access, and ineffective oversight posed serious risks to the integrity of Pakistan’s national SIM registration regime.
