The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided in principle to review the number of voice SIMs that can be registered against a single CNIC.
According to media reports, PTA officials said the limit needs to be reduced to curb possible misuse of SIMs in cybercrime. They noted that a typical user operates only two to three voice SIMs at a time.
The authority is also considering a proposal to raise the cap on data SIMs while lowering the voice SIM limit. Officials said the rollout of 5G technology will increase demand for data SIMs, as IoT services will require a larger number of them.
Currently, a single CNIC can be used to register up to eight SIMs: five voice and three data. Mobile phone companies will be consulted before any change to the limits is made.
Separately, the PTA has advised citizens to provide biometric data only at authorised customer service centres, franchises or approved sales outlets of mobile network operators when obtaining new SIM cards or accessing other telecommunication services.
In a public awareness message, the authority asked consumers to confirm the exact purpose for which their fingerprints are being collected before giving them.
It also urged them to avoid disclosing sensitive biometric information to unauthorised individuals or outlets. The advisory is intended to raise public awareness and help prevent the misuse of citizens’ biometric data.
The PTA had earlier warned the public about a fraud in which criminals pose as courier-company representatives to obtain one-time passwords (OTPs) from customers. In such cases, callers claim a parcel or shipment is being delivered and ask recipients to share an OTP or other information to complete the delivery.
The authority has urged citizens never to share an OTP with anyone, particularly unknown callers claiming to represent courier companies or other organisations.
