Zong, Telenor fined Rs 116 million in PTA crackdown on illegal SIM issuance
ISLAMABAD – The telecom regulator has clamped down on SIM registration violations, imposing a combined fine of Rs 233 million on popular companies Zong and Telenor.
It started as citizen complaints about unauthorized SIMs and inspections of unapproved sales kiosks that eventually exposed compliance failures, and alleged violations of subscriber verification rules, prompting authorities to take tough enforcement actions against telecom operators.
A report shared. Tech juice The details of the case against Zong were shared after a routine user complaint. A complainant approached the regulator after it was discovered that two SIM cards had been issued and activated against his identity card without his knowledge or consent, leading to raids on two Zong franchise outlets in Lahore last year.
During the inspection, the officials seized biometric authentication devices, laptops, mobile phones and a large number of SIM cards which were deemed suspicious. A case was registered as investigators tried to find out how the unauthorized activities took place.
PTI found that the operator failed to ensure subscribers’ physical presence during SIM registration, and noted shortcomings in the implementation of Live Finger Detection (LFD) technology, which is designed to prevent misuse of biometrics.
One biometric device has processed an unusually high number of SIM registrations involving female CNIC holders in various districts, while another has reportedly shown activation activity outside its designated area, according to the report.
Amid the crackdown, Zhong maintained that all SIM registrations were done through a PTA-approved biometric system and said internal reviews found no evidence of manipulation or procedural violations. The company argued that the devices flagged by the regulator represented only a small portion of its overall franchise operations and that the activation patterns remained within normal business parameters.
Under current regulations, telecom operators remain accountable for every SIM issued on their networks, regardless of the sales channel used. The PTA imposed a penalty of Rs 116.7 million and directed the company to deposit the amount within ten days.
In a similar case, Telenor Pakistan also comes under the radar as the PTA allegedly uncovered an unauthorized sales operation inside the Khyber Teaching Hospital. The investigation began in mid-2025 when PTA officials inspected a Telenor sales kiosk operating on the hospital premises.
The PTA found that customer relationship management (CRM) access was allegedly extended to the kiosk through a VPN connection, allowing the operator to perform sensitive functions normally restricted to authorized franchise locations. These functions included SIM activation, SIM replacement and subscriber related transactions using CNIC and Afghan proof of registration documents.
The telecom company then informed the PTA that it had fired the employee involved, fined the franchisee and revoked access to the relevant system, but the PTA found the same employee working from the same location using the same credentials and equipment in a follow-up round.
Telenor argued that the incident was the result of misconduct by an individual franchise employee working independently of the company. It also maintained that no unauthorized transactions were processed through its systems.
Branches of the famous coffee shop Double Shot were sealed in Lahore over the tax issue.
The post Zong, Telenor fined Rs 116 million in PTA crackdown against illegal SIM issuance appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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