Pakistan has significantly tightened safeguards around mobile phone registrations, with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) extending the SIM disowning period from 60 days to 365 days in a move aimed at curbing illegal SIM issuance and preventing unauthorized registrations.

The decision marks a notable shift in the country's telecommunications security framework. Under the revised arrangement, any newly activated SIM can now only be disowned after one year from the date of activation, placing greater responsibility on individuals during the biometric verification process. The regulator said the measure forms part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen protections against unlawful SIM issuance and the misuse of mobile connections registered under another person's identity.

The change increases the importance of biometric authentication at the point of registration. Citizens have been advised to exercise extreme caution when providing biometric verification for the issuance of mobile connections, as the extended waiting period limits the ability to quickly disassociate themselves from a newly activated SIM.

The move reflects growing emphasis on identity protection within Pakistan's telecommunications sector, where biometric verification has become a central tool for linking mobile subscriptions to verified national identity records.

Alongside the revised policy, the PTA has urged the public to regularly monitor the number of SIMs registered against their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). The regulator said individuals can verify registered connections through the online portal or by sending their CNIC number, without dashes, via SMS to the designated verification service.

The authority described routine verification as an important safeguard against unauthorized registrations and potential misuse of personal information. To further strengthen transparency and accountability, citizens have also been encouraged to immediately report any suspicious or unrecognized SIM registrations to their respective mobile network operators.

The latest measure underscores the regulator's focus on tightening controls over subscriber identity management and reducing the risk of fraudulent mobile registrations. By extending the SIM disowning period to one year, the PTA is seeking to reinforce accountability in the registration process while encouraging greater vigilance among mobile phone users regarding the use of their biometric credentials and CNIC-linked mobile connections.