SIM of a deceased person: PTA 60-day transfer rule (2026)

In 2026 the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority amended its Subscriber Antecedents Verification Regulations (SRO 1519(I)/2026, the Third Amendment) and put a clock on SIMs that belong to someone who has died: once NADRA reports the death, the operator must text every SIM in that person’s name, and any SIM not transferred within 60 days is blocked. The same amendment orders operators to block SIMs on cancelled or impounded CNICs within five days, and to block fraudulently issued SIMs at once. This page explains what the rule means for a family, how the 60 days are counted, what each operator asks for to transfer the number, and what happens if you miss the deadline.

The rule in plain terms

• Deceased CNIC or NICOP holder: NADRA informs the operators. Each operator sends an SMS to every SIM registered in that name, asking for ownership to be transferred within 60 days. SIMs not transferred by then are blocked.
• Cancelled, confiscated or impounded CNIC or NICOP: the operator sends an SMS giving the reason, then blocks the SIMs within five days, unless NADRA updates the document’s status before that.
• Fraudulently issued SIMs: blocked immediately, along with the IMEI of the device used to issue or activate them.
• Restoration: a blocked SIM can be restored once the identity document is confirmed restored, and a genuine subscriber can be restored after verification once a reasonable justification is recorded.

The 60 days run from the operator’s SMS, not from the date of death. NADRA registers deaths when a family cancels the CNIC or when a union council death record reaches it, so the SMS can arrive weeks or months after the funeral. Keep the date of that SMS; it is the only deadline that counts. If the first notifications went out in mid-October 2026, as the press reported, the first blockings under the new rule would fall around mid-December.

Why families should act before the SMS

A deceased person’s number is usually tied to things the family still needs: the bank’s SMS alerts and OTPs, JazzCash or Easypaisa wallets with balance, WhatsApp groups, and two-factor codes for email. Once the SIM is blocked, every OTP sent to it is lost, and a wallet balance can only be recovered through the operator’s succession process, which takes longer than a transfer. If the number matters, transfer it as soon as the death certificate is issued; you do not have to wait for the SMS.

Documents each operator asks for

The FRC (Family Registration Certificate) from NADRA is the document every operator uses to prove the relationship, and it is the one families most often do not have. Apply for it at a NADRA centre or through the Pak-ID app before going to the franchise. Take original documents and one photocopy of each; the franchise keeps copies and the biometric verification is done on the applicant’s thumb at the counter.

Transferring, step by step

1. Get the death certificate (union council or NADRA) and the FRC.
2. Decide who in the family takes the number; if there are several heirs, the others sign an NOC (Ufone requires it, the others ask for it when heirs disagree).
3. Take the SIM, the documents and your original CNIC to the operator’s franchise or customer service centre, not a retailer.
4. Biometric verification is done on your thumb; the number moves to your CNIC and counts against your SIM limit (five per CNIC).
5. If the operator’s SMS has already arrived, do this well inside the 60 days; the counter cannot extend the deadline.

Cancelled or expired CNIC: a different clock

The five-day rule applies to a CNIC that NADRA has cancelled, confiscated or impounded, which is rare and usually follows a legal case or a duplicate-identity finding. An expired CNIC is not a cancelled one, but PTA has separately urged users to keep their CNIC valid, so renew an expired card rather than wait for a notice. If your SMS says the card is cancelled, the only fix is at NADRA: once NADRA restores the document, the operator restores the SIM.