Cellular mobile operators in Pakistan may levy a disowning charge on SIMs having less than a six-month retention period from next year onwards.

The development was shared by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in a statement released on Friday.

“Effective January 1 2024, Cellular Mobile Operators in Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) may levy a ‘SIM Disowning Charge’ up to Rs200 on SIMs having a retention period of less than six months,” the regulator said in a statement.

The PTA advised all consumers to disown or return unnecessary SIMs, free of charge, by December 31, 2023. “By doing so, consumers can avoid SIM disowning charges and contribute towards responsible usage of SIMs,” it said.

The telecom regulator shared that a one-time waiver against the SIM disowning charge will be granted in cases of illegal SIM issuance without the knowledge or consent of the consumer.

“To check the status of registered SIMs, consumers can use the following methods: by visiting https://cnic.sims.pk/ or sending an SMS with CNIC number (without dashes) to 668 (charges apply).

“With this decision, PTA stays committed to national safety and security while ensuring uninterrupted quality services to all telecom consumers,” it added.

Last month, PTA data showed the number of cellular subscribers in Pakistan decreased from 190.44 million by the end of August 2023 to 189.740 million by end-September 2023.

The cellular teledensity has declined from 79.87% by the end of August 2023 to 79.44% by the end of September. Total teledensity decreased from 80.95% by end-August to 80.52% by end-September.