Register your second SIM or it will be blocked: PTA

If you have a dual SIM phone, the deadline for registration of the IMEI number of the second SIM is September 15, says the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

This decision comes after PTA’s initial drive of December last year when it had asked people to get their phones registered. Many, however, who were using phones with two SIM slots, registered only one IMEI number.

IMEI is a unique code given to your mobile by its maker just like the vehicle identification number. The government uses this number to identify a valid phone on a network (Jazz, Telenor or Zong for example) and can block the handset’s access to the network. If the PTA blocks your mobile phone’s IMEI number, you cannot use it on any mobile network in Pakistan—the phone will simply not function.

Related: After Jan 15, you will have to pay a fine to register your mobile phone with PTA

To find out your phone’s IMEI number, you can dial *#06# from your smartphone or in case of the feature phone just find it printed in the battery compartment. Texting your IMEI number to 8484 will confirm if it is registered.

For those who have registered one IMEI slot number, but not the second, they can submit their request to PTA at typeapproval@pta.gov.pk.

What do you need?

When submitting your request to the PTA, you must attach a copy of your CNIC, phone number and a screenshot showing the IMEI number. The subject of the email must be clearly written as, ‘One Slot Registered 2nd Slot Not Registered’, as instructed by a notification issued by the PTA last week.

Related: You can now register your imported mobile phone till March 28

The telecommunication authority has said it won’t entertain any requests that do not follow this pattern.

If you leave your second SIM unregistered, PTA will not block your phone, but only the unregistered SIM.

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