Fact-check: PTA denies it plans to block phones for using multiple SIMs
Independent verification and official statements confirm that PTA has not announced any IMEI blocking for users who use more than five SIMs in a month
Updated Thursday Aug 28 2025
A supposed press release attributed to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) claimed that the regulator had announced that if a person used more than five different SIMs (Subscriber Identity Modules) in one phone within a month, authorities would block the phone.
The claim is false.
Claim
On August 18, a Facebook user shared an advisory allegedly issued by PTA. It stated that if a user inserted more than five SIMs in a single mobile phone within a month, the device’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) would be blocked and network services suspended.
On August 18, a Facebook user shared an advisory allegedly issued by PTA. It stated that if a user inserted more than five SIMs in a single mobile phone within a month, the device's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) would be blocked and network services suspended.
Similar claims have also been shared here, here and here.
Fact
The document circulating online has not been issued by PTA. This was confirmed by the Authority itself and by Jazz, a private telecommunication service provider in Pakistan.
Zaib un Nisa, director (communications) of PTA, confirmed to Geo Fact Check that the online claims were false. "The social media post in circulation is misleading," she said, adding that the PTA had not issued any such advisory.
She further explained that PTA remains vigilant regarding IMEI duplication and cloning, and takes action when required. This includes blocking duplicate or cloned IMEIs, conducting raids with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and running public awareness campaigns.
A spokesperson for Jazz, who asked not to be named, also confirmed to Geo Fact Check that no such instruction had been issued by PTA.
"Nor is there any technical mechanism currently implemented in Pakistan that restricts the number of SIMs used in a single mobile device per month," she added.
Additionally, the official social media accounts of PTA labelled the advisory as fake. The clarification can be read here.
Verdict: The claim is false. Independent verification and official statements confirm that PTA has not announced any IMEI blocking for users who use more than five SIMs in a month.
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