After a sudden action previous week by Minister of Interior Mr. Rehman Malik against cellular operators asked them to block all unauthorized SIMs within 30 days. The type of action seems to be immediate as all cellular companies are directed to block all unverified SIMs by May 17th 2011.

The news was forwarded from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and all cellular operators came up with a massive campaign to regenerate the inaccuracies in the data of mobile users’ antecedents as per directions of telecommunication authority. Well an awareness campaign is in action via sms, social media, road banners in order to verify their SIM identities through pre-defined Customer Service Centers.

How To Verify Your SIM Identity ?

Process 1: According to PTA, have already introduced “SIM information System” for the verification of cellphone SIMs where subscriber can send an sms message along with their CNIC number to 668, in return they could receive details of number of SIMs against their identity with cellular company name.

Note: This is not a free service.

Process 2: PTA has launched a SIM online information system so as the subscriber could easily verify the number of SIMs they posses against their computerized national identity card (CNIC) with mobile operator. Visit Online SIM Information enter your CNIC number without any “dash sign(-)” and click “Submit”. In response to the query you will get the actual number of SIM connection issued against particular CNIC from six cellular operators namily (Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid, Zong and SCO)

PTA ordered all cellular operators to inform their subscribers regarding the registration of their particular SIMs else it would be blocked by May 17, 2011. “This is part of PTA efforts to block all illegal SIMs and clean the data of mobile users,” PTA statement added.

Now the new SIMs are activated through an online verification system which is integrated from NADRA after identification of legitimate users by asking secret questions such as place of birth etc. The system had been designed to address security risks and preventing SIM misuse in the country.