Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has officially refuted media reports suggesting mandatory re-verification of SIM cards in Pakistan and introducing a system allowing the issuance of a single SIM against a passport.
In a recent statement on X, the PTA emphasized that no official decision was made on these topics. PTA clarified, “International Roaming of Pakistani SIMs in Afghanistan and vice versa is already blocked.” In December 2022, PTA initiated distributing SIMs through an advanced Biometric Verification System (BVS) dubbed the Multi Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS).
Transition to Advanced Biometric Standards
A special ceremony at the PTA Headquarters marked the agreement between NADRA and cellular mobile operators (CMOs) for a smooth transition to this upgraded biometric system. Current BVS devices in the market have undergone modifications to align with MBVS standards through a joint effort by NADRA and CMOs. The improved system requires multiple finger impressions for authentication when issuing new or replacement SIMs. Importantly, the choice of fingers to be verified has now been automated, demanding two random finger impressions, thus negating the possibility of fake fingerprint usage.
