The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has outlined a three-phase plan to deactivate Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs).
The PTA’s decision follows the receipt of user data from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), with the process set to commence on August 16.
In the first phase, PTA will block SIMs linked to fake or cancelled CNICs. The second phase will block SIMs associated with expired CNICs. According to PTA sources, the final phase will target SIMs registered under the CNICs of deceased individuals.
Meanwhile, subscribers have begun to receive notifications on their SIMs regarding these updates.
In a related development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has prohibited the federal government from blocking the SIMs of individuals who have not filed tax returns. IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq ruled in response to a writ petition from a telecom operator, which contested Clause 114-B of the Income Tax Ordinance and the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) directives aimed at non-filers.
The petitioner maintained that the tax regulator’s extended powers infringed upon the fundamental right to conduct business, as Article 18 of the Constitution guaranteed.
