The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has drafted foreign SIM rules that would require identity checks for visitors using foreign SIMs and eSIMs on Pakistani networks. Under the draft International Roaming (Inbound) Regulations, 2026, roaming used for 90 days or more in any 180-day period would be classed as permanent roaming and could be suspended or blocked.
The PTA says inbound roaming connections currently get onto Pakistani networks without any local KYC verification. It argues this has made it hard to trace spoofed calls, SMS phishing, extortion and e-commerce fraud carried out through foreign SIMs and eSIMs, according to Business Recorder, which reported on the draft on October 9, and ProPakistani, which followed on October 12.
Roaming for 90 of 180 days could be blocked
| Roaming use in a 180-day window | How the draft treats it |
|---|---|
| Under 90 days | Ordinary temporary roaming |
| 90 days or more | Classed as permanent roaming; may be suspended or blocked if the operator cannot show legitimate temporary use |
The threshold is cumulative. A visitor who stays three months straight reaches it, and so would someone who makes two trips of 50 days within the same six months. The reports do not say how a “day of use” is counted, so that detail will need to be checked in the draft text.
The PTA’s concern goes beyond fraud. It says foreign SIMs, including those in machine-to-machine and IoT devices, are increasingly standing in for local connections, which could undermine oversight and cost the exchequer and local operators revenue. The draft would restrict such SIMs from ordinary consumer voice, SMS and data use, while letting the PTA approve genuine industrial applications case by case.
What visitors may be asked to provide
Operators would have to build a KYC process for incoming roamers. Business Recorder lists the proposed details as:
- Passport or travel-document details
- Nationality
- Roaming SIM or eSIM identifiers
- Home operator details
- Arrival date and expected length of stay, where available
Verification could happen at activation, through a link in the welcome SMS, on a PTA-approved digital portal, or through coordination with immigration and border authorities. For data-only eSIMs, where SMS verification may not work, the draft leaves room for alternative arrangements.
Operators would keep roaming records for at least 12 months and file periodic reports with the PTA. If they detect suspicious use, they could ask the user’s foreign home operator for subscriber details, which must be supplied within 72 hours, or 24 hours when there is an imminent security or fraud risk. A central database of blocked roamers would stop a suspended user from simply moving to another local network.
Travel eSIM sellers must register
The draft also brings travel SIM and eSIM aggregators under PTA oversight for the first time. Registered aggregators would have to disclose their underlying network providers and distribution channels, name a local focal person, and share issuance, activation, KYC and usage information with the authority.
Comments due November 10
The PTA has invited written comments from stakeholders until November 10, 2026. The rules remain a draft and take effect only after notification in the official Gazette.
This is separate from the PTA’s July 2026 advisory, reported by ARY News, which warned citizens against buying or using foreign SIMs illegally. The new draft is about inbound roamers: visitors, overseas Pakistanis and long-stay foreigners using SIMs issued abroad.
