Pakistan’s telecom regulator has begun action against WhatsApp accounts registered to mobile numbers that are no longer active, according to multiple reports published in late October 2026 citing Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) officials. The move follows months of warnings urging users to keep their WhatsApp accounts tied to a mobile number they still use and control.
What happened?
Reports say the PTA has moved from warnings to enforcement, with accounts linked to inactive, cancelled or long-unused SIM cards now facing blocking. The regulator had warned users in August and again in September 2026 that such accounts could be blocked, saying some inactive numbers were being used for fraud and other illegal activity. An awareness campaign first urged users to link their WhatsApp accounts to active numbers in their own possession before enforcement began.
Key details
- The action targets WhatsApp accounts registered to SIM cards that are inactive, cancelled or no longer in the owner’s use.
- Users with active SIM cards that remain in their possession are not the group targeted.
- The risk centres on reissued numbers: when a cancelled or dormant number is eventually given to a new subscriber, that person could receive verification codes for the old owner’s account.
- The PTA has advised users who changed numbers to move their account using WhatsApp’s built-in Change Number feature rather than registering afresh.
- Users can check the SIMs registered on their CNIC by sending their 13-digit CNIC number by SMS to 668, or through the PTA’s SIM Information System.
- The PTA has not published detailed figures on how many accounts are affected or the full criteria for blocking, so users unsure of their SIM status should check with their operator’s franchise or customer service centre.
What it means for people in Pakistan
For anyone who has switched numbers, let a second SIM lapse or lost a SIM without reclaiming it, this is the practical moment to check. Moving the WhatsApp account to the number currently in use protects chats, contacts and access to the account, and avoids the risk of a recycled number handing control of the account to a stranger.
Source: https://techx.pk/pta-blocking-whatsapp-accounts-inactive-sims-pakistan/
