PTA weighs cutting voice SIM limit per CNIC to three
Officials say most users run only two or three voice connections and extra SIMs are open to misuse in cybercrime.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is considering cutting the number of voice SIMs that can be registered against a single CNIC from five to three, and raising the ceiling on data SIMs, according to officials quoted in reports on the authority's review.
Samaa reported the proposed new voice limit as three. Officials said an in-principle decision had been taken to review the existing allocation policy, with the changes aimed at curbing the misuse of mobile connections in cybercrime.
Most users run only two or three voice SIMs at a time, the officials said, and issuing extra voice connections creates room for misuse. TechJuice, citing media reports, put typical use at two to three voice SIMs per person.
Under the current rules a single CNIC can carry five voice SIMs and three data SIMs, eight in total. Samaa reported that the present split follows a court decision.
The authority is also weighing a higher limit for data SIMs. Officials said the rollout of 5G will push up demand for data connections, including Internet of Things services that require large numbers of SIMs.
Mobile phone companies will be consulted before any limit is changed. No date for a final decision has been given.
Separately, the PTA advised citizens to provide biometric data only at authorised customer service centres, franchises or approved sales outlets of mobile network operators when obtaining a new SIM or using other telecommunication services. In a public awareness message, the authority asked consumers to confirm the purpose for which their fingerprints are being taken and to avoid disclosing biometric information to unauthorised people or outlets.
The PTA has also warned about fraud in which callers pose as courier company representatives and ask for a one-time password to complete a delivery. The authority urged citizens never to share an OTP with anyone, particularly unknown callers claiming to represent courier companies or other organisations.
How the reports differ
Samaa alone gave the proposed new voice limit as three and reported that the present split of five voice and three data SIMs follows a court decision. TechJuice did not carry the figure for the new limit, describing the move only as an in-principle decision to review, and it alone reported the PTA's separate advisory on biometric data and its warning about callers posing as courier staff to obtain one-time passwords. Daily Ausaf's report, as published, carried only a headline and no body copy.
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