Key Takeaways
- The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has fined the country’s four major mobile operators a total of Rs740 million.
- Operators were penalized for unauthorised activation of SIMs and lapses in biometric verification processes.
- Investigations revealed significant irregularities, including SIM activations without subscribers' consent.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has imposed cumulative penalties of around Rs740 million on the country’s four major mobile operators for repeated violations of SIM issuance regulations. According to a series of enforcement orders issued under Section 23 of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act, 1996, China Mobile Pakistan (Zong), Jazz (PTML), Telenor Pakistan and Ufone (PTML) each faced multiple enforcement actions carrying fines of Rs116.7 million.
In one of the most serious cases, PTA found that China Mobile Pakistan had activated a SIM against a subscriber’s CNIC through an authorised franchise in Lahore without the subscriber's knowledge. A subsequent raid led to the recovery of laptops, biometric verification devices and around 150 SIMs, indicating significant irregularities in SIM issuance.
Telenor Pakistan was penalised after PTA found that a SIM had been activated against the same subscriber’s CNIC through an authorised franchise without her consent. During the investigation, authorities recovered multiple biometric verification devices, laptops and SIM inventory from the franchise premises.
Ufone faced multiple enforcement actions after investigations uncovered large-scale illegal SIM issuance through its sales channels. In one case, raids resulted in the recovery of more than 12,600 active SIMs, along with biometric verification devices and other equipment allegedly used in unlawful SIM activations.
The PTA concluded that operators had failed to ensure compliance with mandatory subscriber verification requirements, despite repeated regulatory directions aimed at preventing illegal SIM sales and identity fraud. The enforcement orders revealed that, in multiple cases, SIMs were issued and activated against subscribers’ CNICs without their knowledge, consent or physical presence, in violation of the Subscriber Antecedents Verification Regulations and the Standard Operating Procedures.
PTA observed that operators cannot escape liability by arguing that franchisees function as independent contractors. The telecom regulations place exclusive responsibility for every SIM sold on the licensed operator. In one case involving Ufone, PTA imposed a fine of Rs116.7 million after finding that SIMs were issued and activated in violation of prescribed regulatory safeguards, including issuance without demonstrated subscriber consent through physical presence at authorised sales channels.
The regulator noted that despite the availability of detailed compliance procedures, operators had failed to maintain adequate supervision, monitoring and compliance over authorised sales outlets and Biometric Verification System (BVS) device usage. The enforcement actions underscored the PTA’s commitment to ensuring lawful issuance and genuine subscriber consent in SIM activations.
