365-Day SIM Rule: The Ownership Lock [2026]
The 365 day sim rule is an ownership lock: a newly activated SIM stays locked to its activator for a full year, unable to be disowned, transferred or ordinarily deactivated. This guide states it in PTA’s words, separates the 180-day rules it is confused with, and marks what PTA has not clarified.
Quick answer: 365 day sim rule
- The lock: a new SIM cannot be disowned, transferred or ordinarily deactivated for 365 days from activation.
- Clock: per SIM, not per CNIC.
- Since: 24 May 2026; the period was 60 days before that.
- Exception: fraud or unauthorized issuance takes an immediate path, no year-long wait.
What the 365-Day Rule Actually Says
PTA’s advisory of 24 May 2026, carried by the APP wire, states it in one sentence: any newly activated SIM can now only be disowned after one year of activation. PTA DG Ahmed Shamim confirmed it to Geo Fact Check (rated True).
Ownership transfer and ordinary deactivation sit in the same lock: ownership cannot be altered for a full year. PTA’s stated purpose: strengthen safeguards against illegal SIM issuance and unauthorized registrations; ARY News framed it as discouraging discarding and transferring. Not a number quarantine, and no bar on new SIMs (the 8-per-CNIC cap governs those). Removal steps: our disown guide.
365 Days, 180 Days, 180 Days: Three Different Clocks
Three day-counts circulate in SIM guides, plus a fourth riding along.
| Clock | What it governs | Source basis |
|---|---|---|
| 365-day ownership lock | Disowning, transfer and ordinary deactivation of a newly activated SIM | PTA advisory (APP), 24 May 2026 |
| 180-day activity rule | One activity (call, SMS, data or recharge) every 180 days, or the number is reissued | SIM retention facility, January 2026 |
| ONIC 180-day termination quarantine | Release of a terminated ONIC number; termination needs 1 year of activity | ONIC Zendesk |
| 180-day balance validity (different order) | Validity of loaded balance; expired balance returns on recharge | PTA determination, 1 October 2026 |
In short: 365 is about leaving, 180 about using, ONIC’s 180 about recycling, the balance 180 about money.
What Changed: From 60 Days to 365
Until 24 May 2026, the period was 60 days: a new SIM could be disowned or transferred. PTA raised it from 60 days to 365 days, effective the same day.
The clock is per SIM, not per CNIC: the SIM’s own activation date plus 365 days. A SIM activated on 1 June 2026 opens on day 366 (1 June 2027); a second SIM activated later runs its own year. The 8-per-CNIC cap counts SIMs held, locked or not.
Exceptions: Fraud, Death and Cancelled CNICs
The lock governs SIMs you knowingly took. One issued without the subscriber’s knowledge or consent follows a separate, immediate path: immediate reporting under the advisory, and immediate blocking of fraudulently issued SIMs under SRO 1519(I)/2026. The Rs 200 charge is waived once for illegal issuance. Two ranking pages imply victims may wait a year; both texts contradict that. Record-removal speed afterwards is not published.
When NADRA records a death, the family gets a 60-day window to transfer ownership of those SIMs before they are blocked: a transfer deadline, not the old period revived. SIMs on cancelled, confiscated or impounded CNICs are blocked within 5 days after an SMS notice.
What Is Still Unclear, Honestly
Four edges stay UNVERIFIED; this guide will not invent answers. Retroactivity: official wording covers newly activated SIMs only; whether SIMs activated just before 24 May 2026 are captured is unstated. Mistakes: no published rule covers reversing a mistaken disown or reclaiming a disowned number, so treat disowning as final. MNP: no source links the lock to porting, which changes the network, not the owner.
Ask your operator first; if a counter answer conflicts with the advisory, escalate to the PTA helpline 0800-55055. This page updates when PTA clarifies, not with guesses.
FAQs
What is the 365-day SIM rule, and can I remove a fraudulent SIM immediately?
The rule locks a new SIM to its activator for a year. Fraud differs: report at once.
Can I disown a SIM I bought last month?
Not ordinarily: the lock runs a year from activation. A SIM issued without your consent is the exception.
What is the 365-day SIM disown rule in Pakistan 2026?
PTA’s 24 May 2026 advisory raised it from 60 to 365 days: only after one year of activation.
The franchise says I must wait 365 days before blocking an unauthorized SIM. Is that correct?
No: immediate reporting and immediate blocking are ordered. Only record-removal timing afterwards is unpublished.
What should I do if 668 shows a SIM I never registered?
Report it to that operator at once, ask for an immediate block, then audit your CNIC at cnic.sims.pk.
Is the 365-day rule the same as the 180-day rule?
No: 365 governs leaving a new SIM, 180 governs using one; the other two are separate again.
Does the 365-day lock stop me buying another SIM?
No: the lock attaches to that SIM’s removal or transfer. The 8-per-CNIC cap (5 voice, 3 data) still sets your total.
What happens to my father’s SIMs after his death? Does the 365-day rule apply?
A different clock: the family gets 60 days to transfer ownership after the death is recorded.
Was the 365-day rule announced on June 5, 2026?
No: dated 24 May 2026, effective then. The 5 June story was a follow-up confirmation.
Kitni SIMs ho sakti hain? 365 din wala rule?
Ek CNIC par kul 8 SIMs. 365 din wala rule tadad par nahi: nayi SIM ek saal tak disown ya transfer nahi hoti. Baghair ijazat wali SIM fauran report karein.
Conclusion
The 365 day sim rule is a one-year ownership lock on each new SIM, per SIM from activation, in force since 24 May 2026. Fraud takes the immediate path; deceased cases get their own 60 days; open edges stay open. Removing an older SIM? The disown guide has the steps.
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