PTA, NCCIA carry out joint raids against illegal issuance of SIMs
LAHORE ( WEB NEWS )
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office Lahore, in collaboration with the NCCIA Lahore, carried out successful raids against Telecom Franchisees involved in the illegal issuance of SIMs through biometric verification scanners.
These raids were conducted in Shahkot (District Nankana Sahib), Haveli Lakha (District Okara), and Yazman (District Bahawalpur).
During the raids, the joint PTA-NCCIA team seized a substantial quantity of suspicious SIMs and equipment used for unlawful activations.
All seized items were taken into custody by NCCIA as evidence.
One franchise CSR was arrested during the Shahkot and Haveli Lakha raid, while three individuals including the franchise owner and manager/supervisor were apprehended in Yazman.
FIRs have been registered, and NCCIA has initiated further investigation.
These actions followed formal complaints lodged by PTA regarding illegal SIM activations through the sales channel.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued new guidelines for internet users regarding the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in the country.
According to an official statement, the PTA has initiated the licensing of VPN service providers under the reinstated Class Value Added Services (CVAS-Data) licensing framework.
The move aims to streamline the provision of secure and lawful VPN services in Pakistan while ensuring compliance with national regulations and data protection standards.
Under this framework, PTA has granted Class Licenses to several companies, including Alpha 3 Cubic (Pvt.) Ltd. (Steer Lucid), Zettabyte (Pvt.) Ltd. (Crest VPN), Nexilium Tech (SMC-Pvt.) Ltd. (Kestrel VPN), UKI Conic Solutions (SMC-Pvt.) Ltd. (QuiXure VPN), and Vision Tech 360 (Pvt.) Ltd. (Kryptonyme VPN).
These licensees are now authorized to offer VPN services to individuals and organizations for legitimate and lawful purposes.
The PTA advised internet users that they may now obtain VPN services directly from these licensed providers without the need to apply separately to PTA for VPN registration of their IP addresses or mobile numbers.
The authority stated that this initiative is aimed at promoting regulatory facilitation, user convenience, and enhanced cybersecurity across Pakistan’s digital ecosystem.
According to PTA, the introduction of licensed VPN services will promote secure and lawful online connectivity, reduce cybersecurity risks associated with unregistered VPNs, and contribute to strengthening national cyber defence and data protection.
Earlier, Google issued a strong warning about a growing cyber threat: malicious apps masquerading as trustworthy Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). While many view VPNs as essential for protecting digital identity, cybercriminals are exploiting this trust by deploying apps that, in fact, are malware designed to steal data.
Google’s latest November 2025 fraud and scam advisory specifically highlights these digital risks. According to the advisory, threat actors are disguising malware as both VPN apps and browser extensions that initially appear legitimate. These fake services often impersonate popular VPN brands and use appealing advertisements to trick users into installing them.