SIM card first became mainstream with the popularization of the mobile-phony devices that allowed owners to connect all over the world. At first, this SIM card that was a type of smart card was just as expensive and only affordable by a few.
But as the time changed and smart devices became a part of a typical household, SIM cards became a necessity to run this device. And it would help to connect the billion of people that owned them.
In this article, we will discuss SIM card usage in Pakistan. we’ll also discuss how many sims are allowed on one cnic. And how to check sims on cnic by sms and online.
About Sim Cards:
Subscriber Identification Module or more commonly known as a SIM card, is an Integrated Circuit that runs a card operating system. It stores IMSI, which helps in identifying and authenticate subscribers on mobile phones or computers.
Cell phones became mainstream in Pakistan in the early 2000s. With their popularization, SIM cards were also widespread.The number of mobile phone users has grown at a steady rate, from five million in 2003 to roughly one hundred eighty million to date.
This wasn’t a problem in the initial few years. But as more and more people owned SIM cards, sometimes even more than would ever; it caused a lot of unprecedented problems.
So many SIM cards went unregistered, leading to criminal attacks. These attacks went untracked by the concerned institutions because of how they were untraceable. The reason was that as no record or registration of these SIMs had taken place with either the operators or the government.
This all culminated in the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to present the ‘SIM Information System—668’ in October 2009.
The purpose of this implementation was to have every SIM registered by the CNIC of an individual. This made it easier for both the governmental bodies and the individual to keep a record of SIMs.
This nipped the issues at the bud, and now an organized system has developed. Making all governmental processes easier than well as improving subscriber experience.They did it as a whole in 2009 and every subscription provider was required to register the SIM card on the CNIC of the customer they were selling it to the PTA.
Number of SIMs allowed to be registered on CNIC
The question that comes most frequently regarding registration of SIMs is how many sims on my cnic can be listed?
The government organization PTA has definitely placed a limit on the amount of SIMs allowed on a single person’s CNIC. The official amount is that companies allow five sims on cnic of a single individual. One CNIC cannot exceed this number.
If they wish to get another SIM card, then the previous one would have to be blocked and negotiated with by the issuing parent company. After this is done, they can issue another SIM on your CNIC, making the number five again.
Checking the amount of SIMs Registered on your CNIC
Another question that is often asked is ‘how to check how many sims registered on my cnic?’ The answer is simple and you can do it in several ways—both online and sms.
How to check sims on cnic online?
Checking sims on cnic online is easier if you know which website to go to. The following are the stages to go through:
- Visit the website https://cnic.sims.pk
- Visiting the PTA SIM Information Website will give you a webpage asking you to enter your CNIC information. Enter the requested information.
- It will also ask you to verify that you are not a robot.
- After doing both, you can click on the ‘Submit’ button.
After following these steps, the webpage will introduce you to a list. The list of sims on cnic that you just entered would appear in front of you. Operators would categorize it, and would also list the amount of sims registered on your cnic.
How to check sims on cnic by sms?
Checking registered SIMs on your CNIC through SMS is also a simple process. The following are the steps:
- Open the messenger of your phone. Type your CNIC number unhyphenated. Send it to the number ‘668’ (each text sent to this number is viable to PKR 2 in tax).
- You will shortly receive a message detailing the total number of SIMs registered on your CNIC that are active at each operator.
Wrapping Up:
Cellular subscriptions have become so common that they have surpassed 183 million mark by the end of March 2021 according the PTA.
The top operators of the country like Jazz, Telenor, Zong, Ufone, and SCO each surpassed more than a million subscriptions, with the top subscriptions belonging to Jazz having an approximate 69.24 million.
This much subscriptions would obviously lead to an increase in safety concerns across the country, especially since this isn’t that much of a well-regulated industry. Thus, the PTA stepping at the right time and adding the five sims on cnic of a single person was perhaps the best decision for the users.
A new policy of collecting biometric information has also helped in improving security measures against malicious parties looking to cause harm.
A lot of cyber crimes that were conducted previously, that although they haven’t completely been eradicated, still have been reduced a great deal because of this system of registered consumption.
The routes for anonymity for never do something have decreased significantly due wells to this system. Although stealing identities and SIM cloning have now become niche and the go to route for the criminal masterminds.
However, these are still issues the governmental organizations are working hard to nip at the bud.
In the end, implementing this system has led to a lot of safety in the consumption of SIM cards, and the public is requested to adhere to these rules for a better and safer cyber experience for everyone across the country.
