Pakistan is considering facial and iris recognition technology for SIM card issuance as authorities acknowledge growing security weaknesses in the existing fingerprint-based biometric system. Officials say criminals are exploiting gaps in the system to obtain SIMs illegally and facilitate financial fraud.
The issue was discussed by a National Assembly committee after authorities reported that 18.2 million illegal SIM cards had been blocked during the past two and a half years.
Fingerprint System Faces Security Concerns
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told the committee that the current biometric verification system had not been sufficient to prevent identity theft and financial fraud.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman said scammers were allegedly obtaining fingerprints from locations including airports, driving licence centres and passport offices, with the possibility of data being accessed from other official databases.
According to the PTA chief, criminals are finding ways to bypass the biometric verification process currently used for SIM registration.
The concerns have increased calls for stronger identity verification methods, including biometric technologies that do not rely solely on fingerprints.
Criminals Exploiting SIM and Banking Networks
National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Director Irfanullah Khan told the committee that criminals were exploiting weaknesses in the existing system.
He said the agency had recovered 195 active SIM cards and 81 ATM cards allegedly being used by scammers.
The NCCIA and PTA have also conducted raids at 110 locations, resulting in the blocking of 29,000 illegal SIM cards and the arrest of 171 suspects, according to figures presented to the committee.
Authorities also recovered data belonging to around 600,000 people during the operations.
The figures highlight the broader challenge facing Pakistan as illegal SIMs, stolen identity information and financial accounts are increasingly being used in organised scams.
Government Examines New SIM Verification Methods
The PTA chairman proposed that SIM cards should be issued exclusively through NADRA’s PAK-ID system to strengthen identity verification.
An official from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), meanwhile, suggested linking each SIM card to a single International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.
MNA Khawaja Izharul Hassan proposed another safeguard under which citizens would automatically receive SMS alerts whenever more than one SIM card was registered against their CNIC.
Such measures could give users greater visibility over SIMs issued in their names while helping authorities identify potentially suspicious registrations.
Concerns Over Mule Bank Accounts
The committee was also briefed about the use of rented or so-called mule bank accounts to move and launder money obtained through scams.
Tallal Chaudhry called on telecom operators to improve their security systems and coordinate more closely with the PTA to address the misuse of mobile connections.
The discussion reflects the growing overlap between telecom fraud, identity theft and financial crime, with authorities examining measures that involve both technical controls and regulatory changes.
Committee Seeks Coordinated Cybersecurity Measures
The National Assembly committee directed the Interior Ministry to coordinate with the SBP, PTA, NCCIA and telecom operators to develop legislative, regulatory and technical measures against illegal SIM issuance.
The proposed review could determine whether facial recognition, iris scanning, NADRA-based verification, IMEI controls and automated customer alerts should form part of a stronger SIM registration framework.
For consumers, the central issue is preventing unauthorised SIMs from being registered against their CNICs while ensuring that any new biometric system provides stronger protection for personal data.
The government has yet to announce a final nationwide implementation plan for facial or iris recognition-based SIM issuance.
