The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced a new measure to help overseas Pakistanis maintain their mobile SIM cards and prevent them from being blocked during their stay abroad.
In a post on social media, the PTA said the initiative is part of its efforts to provide uninterrupted telecom services to Pakistani citizens living outside the country. Subscribers can use this facility for a specified period by informing their respective cellular companies and paying the applicable charges, the authority added.
The initiative allows Pakistani citizens abroad to retain ownership of their mobile SIMs and continue accessing telecom services, ensuring they can stay in contact with family and others in Pakistan.
The PTA also issued guidelines for subscribers to maintain active connections. Prepaid customers are advised to use their mobile services at least once every 180 days. This can include making a call, sending an SMS, or using mobile data within the specified period.
For postpaid customers, the PTA instructed that monthly line rent and any outstanding dues must be paid on time to keep connections active.
Earlier, the PTA also issued warnings about fraudulent calls and unauthorised use of Unique Access Numbers (UAN). In an awareness video, the authority stated that “scammers are copying the PTA, FIA and banks”.
The message emphasised that “no government organisation ever asks for your OTP, PIN, identity card number or biometrics”.
The PTA urged consumers to remain alert, verify requests only through official government channels and avoid sharing personal information with unverified sources.
In previous statements, the authority had also highlighted the importance of responsible SIM use.
Citizens are advised to use only SIMs registered in their own names, as using SIMs issued on another person’s ID is considered a violation of regulations.
The PTA added that “wrong use of SIMs will be on the registered consumer”, and called on citizens to ensure responsible use of their mobile connections.
According to the authority, registered consumers will bear responsibility for calls, messages and data usage associated with their SIMs.