{
  "id": 4346386,
  "title": "PTA tells telcos to enforce uniform SIM policy, implement 180-day minimum balance validity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/pta-tells-telcos-to-enforce-uniform-sim-policy-implement-180-day",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-30T04:33:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn Business",
    "slug": "dawn-business",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2026128/pta-tells-telcos-to-enforce-uniform-sim-policy-implement-180-day-minimum-balance-validity"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has instructed all three major telcos to enforce a consistent SIM policy, including a minimum 180-day balance validity period, following complaints from consumers. Two telcos, Zong and Telenor Pakistan (now merged with PTCL), were found not adhering to the prescribed terms, leading to the cancellation of prepaid SIMs due to insufficient balance. The regulator received multiple complaints about the forfeiture of unused prepaid balances during the SIM's active life, which significantly impacts financially weaker subscribers, particularly those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Jazz, another mobile operator, has a separate recycling policy, allowing dormant SIMs to be recycled after 720 days, after which the previous owner has no claim over the recycled SIM. The PTA orders telcos to implement this 180-day minimum balance validity policy starting October 1, emphasizing that any expired balance will be reinstated and usable upon a subsequent recharge, in accordance with the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations.",
  "summary": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2026073",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}