Pakistan Regulator Warns WhatsApp Users to Keep Numbers on Active, Registered SIMs

Overview

• Pakistan’s telecom authority issued a public advisory on social media warning that WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive, blocked, cancelled, or unregistered SIM cards may become inaccessible.
• Users are told to move their WhatsApp to an active, verified SIM if their current number has been deactivated or is no longer in use.
• The advisory directs people to mobile operator franchises or customer care centers for SIM verification and biometric revalidation to prevent service disruption.
• The regulator calls a mobile number a person’s digital identity and reminds the public that the registered SIM holder can be held accountable for misuse.
• No enforcement date was announced, but the PTA urges users not to wait for unexpected logouts, reflecting Pakistan’s ongoing drive to enforce SIM registration and reduce fraud.