NADRA
Last Updated: September 2026
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) gives you two ways to see how many SIMs are registered on your CNIC: send your CNIC number, without dashes, to 668, or enter it on cnic.sims.pk. The answer is the total number of SIMs and the mobile company each one belongs to. PTA’s own FAQ puts the limit at eight SIMs per CNIC for personal use, five voice and three data.
NADRA does not run this service. The check belongs to PTA, and so does any complaint about a SIM you do not recognise.
The two official ways to check
| Way | What you do | What PTA says |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Send your CNIC number without dashes to 668 | PTA’s notice adds “(charges apply)” |
| Website | Go to cnic.sims.pk, enter your CNIC and submit. Foreign nationals use the Foreign ID option | PTA’s FAQ lists it as the website method |
PTA describes the SMS reply as “detail of total SIMs against his CNIC alongwith name of the mobile company”. Because the website is a web form, it does not depend on a Pakistani SIM, which makes it the practical route from abroad. Type the address yourself rather than following a link from a search result or a message.
Important: PTA tells people to keep checking their SIM count regularly, and says the check matters most for elderly women who are unaware of the process, “even if they do not use a mobile phone at all”. PTA’s own analysis found that almost 85% of SIMs used in fraud cases belong to women, which it takes to mean that women’s identity information is more likely to be used to issue illegal SIMs.
If there are SIMs you do not recognise
- Take your original CNIC to the operator’s customer service centre or franchise. In a notice on correcting SIM data, PTA says you fill in an undertaking form after showing your original CNIC, and “the irregular SIMs registered against complainant CNIC shall then be immediately removed from his/her name”. You no longer need to bring a CNIC copy.
- Complain to PTA if the data still does not match. PTA lists three routes: its online complaint form (complaint.pta.gov.pk), the PTA CMS mobile app for Android and iOS, and its toll-free number 0800-55055.
- Say the SIM was issued without your knowledge. PTA’s notice on the SIM disowning charge says “a one-time waiver” applies “in cases of illegal SIM issuance without the knowledge or consent of the consumer”.
The correction notice is older than the rest, so ask the centre which form it currently uses. The 0800-55055 number is a Pakistani toll-free line. From abroad, the online form and the app are the routes that do not depend on it.
SIMs you own but no longer need
PTA announced on 10 November 2023 that from 1 January 2024 operators may charge a “SIM Disowning Charge” of up to PKR 200 on a SIM held for less than six months. It advised consumers to disown unnecessary SIMs free of charge by 31 December 2023. We could not confirm from PTA’s site whether the charge is still applied, so ask your operator before you disown a SIM you bought recently.
How SIMs end up registered in your name
New SIMs, duplicate SIMs, ownership changes, re-verification and disowning all go through PTA’s biometric system, which verifies your fingerprints with NADRA. PTA warns that fraudsters collect fingerprints “in the garb of” membership, BISP or gift schemes and use them to activate SIMs on your CNIC. Its safety advice:
- Give fingerprints only at an authorised sale outlet: a customer service centre, franchise or registered retailer with a biometric device and an authorisation card or letter.
- Give fingerprints only on a machine, to a trusted party, and never on paper.
- Remember that “no prize/gift scheme requires biometric verification”.
- Collect your SIM after verification. If the agent does not hand it over, complain to PTA with your CNIC number, the date of the visit, the company and the sale channel’s name and address.
If your CNIC has been lost or stolen, see our guide to what to do when a CNIC is lost or stolen, which covers the SIM check as part of the steps.
Do not use a “SIM owner details” website
Searches for this topic turn up sites that promise the SIMs, and often the owner’s name and address, behind any CNIC. They are not PTA and they do not say who runs them, and they ask you to type the identifier you are trying to protect. Use only the two channels PTA names.
Common mistakes
- Typing dashes into the CNIC. PTA says to send the number without dashes.
- Calling NADRA about a SIM. SIM registrations are PTA’s business, not NADRA’s.
- Checking once and never again. PTA says to keep checking.
- Skipping the check because you do not use a phone. PTA singles out people who do not, since a SIM can still be registered on their CNIC.
- Giving fingerprints on paper for a scheme. PTA says no gift or prize scheme needs them.
- Trusting a lookalike website. Type cnic.sims.pk yourself.
- Disowning a recent SIM without asking about the charge. Operators may charge up to PKR 200 within six months.
Sources: the two ways to check and the eight-SIM limit are from PTA’s FAQs, How can I check count of SIMs registered against my CNIC? and How many SIMs I can buy against my CNIC? (both dated 22 September 2025); the fingerprint safety advice, the 85% figure, the reporting routes and the regular-check advice from PTA’s Biometric Verification page; the correction and removal procedure from PTA’s notice Condition of CNIC Copy for SIM Data Correction Removed; the disowning charge from PTA’s notice of 10 November 2023; and the reply wording from PTA’s announcement on SIM Information System 668. All read on 30 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
How do I check how many SIMs are registered on my CNIC?
Send your CNIC number without dashes to 668, or go to cnic.sims.pk. PTA’s FAQ names both. PTA describes the reply as the total number of SIMs against your CNIC and the name of the mobile company for each.
Is cnic.sims.pk an official website?
PTA’s own FAQ, dated 22 September 2025, lists it as the website method for checking the count of SIMs against a CNIC, and PTA’s Biometric Verification page and its 2023 notice on the SIM disowning charge point to it too. Type the address yourself rather than following a link.
How many SIMs can one CNIC have?
PTA’s FAQ says a total of eight SIMs per CNIC, made up of 5 voice SIMs and 3 data SIMs for personal use.
Does NADRA show me the SIMs on my CNIC?
No. The SIM check is PTA’s service. NADRA’s part is verifying fingerprints when a SIM is activated through PTA’s biometric system.
What should I do about SIMs I do not recognise?
Take your original CNIC to the mobile operator’s customer service centre or franchise and fill in the undertaking form, which PTA says leads to the irregular SIMs being removed from your name. If the data still does not match, complain to PTA through its online complaint form, the PTA CMS app or the toll-free number 0800-55055.
Can I check from abroad?
Yes, on cnic.sims.pk, which is a web form and does not need a Pakistani SIM. For a complaint from abroad, PTA’s online form and its CMS app do not depend on the toll-free number.
Is there a charge to disown a SIM?
PTA announced on 10 November 2023 that from 1 January 2024 operators may charge up to PKR 200 on a SIM held for less than six months, with a one-time waiver where a SIM was issued illegally without the consumer’s knowledge or consent. We could not confirm from PTA’s site whether it is still applied.
Why do SIMs get registered on other people’s CNICs?
PTA says illegal SIMs are obtained with stolen personal information, and that fraudsters collect fingerprints under the pretext of membership, BISP or gift schemes. It says no prize or gift scheme requires biometric verification, and that fingerprints should be given only on a machine, to a trusted party, and never on paper.
Who do I complain to about a SIM I did not buy?
PTA, through its online complaint form at complaint.pta.gov.pk, its CMS mobile app for Android and iOS, or its toll-free number 0800-55055.
