Cellular operators verify 70m SIMs

KARACHI: Cellular mobile operators have so far verified around 70 million subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and blocked 10 million of them under the biometric re-verification drive, said Dr Syed Ismail Shah.
PTA’s annual report 2014 said there are 139.9 million active SIM in the country.
PTA chief told the reporters that the authority will not extend the date of re-verification beyond April 12 according to the decision of the interior ministry.
Dr Shah said the companies will block the suspicious SIMs (for example one is active in Karachi and other in Quetta) much before the deadline.
He ruled out a mistaken blocking of genuine SIMs. He said the blocked SIMs will not be recycled for some time.
“Local users may reactivate their SIMs within two months of closure, while overseas Pakistanis could reactive them within one year,” he added. —Hina Mahgul Rind