ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is considering cutting the number of voice SIMs that can be issued against a single national identity card from five to three, officials said, to curb the use of multiple SIMs in cybercrime and other illegal activity.
The regulator is also weighing an increase in the limit on data SIMs, now three per CNIC, to meet growing demand for connectivity after the launch of 5G services, the officials said.
Under the current rules, up to eight SIMs can be registered against one CNIC: five for voice and three for data.
According to PTA officials, a decision in principle has been taken to review the limits. They said an average user runs two or three voice SIMs at a time, which makes the current cap of five relatively high, and that more SIMs in circulation create more room for misuse.
The spread of 5G and the growing use of internet-connected devices, known as the Internet of Things, would require more data SIMs, the officials said, which is why the rules need to be reviewed.
The changes will be finalised after consultations with mobile phone operators, they added.
Users can check how many SIMs are registered in their name by sending their CNIC number, without dashes, in a text message to 668.
The regulator has been tightening its rules on connectivity. Earlier this week, it told internet firms not to sell bandwidth to unlicensed providers.
