ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a final warning to mobile phone users nationwide: using tampered, cloned, or otherwise illegal mobile devices is a criminal offense under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 and may result in serious penalties.
In its latest announcement, the PTA stated that individuals found using non-compliant or “patched” devices—especially those with altered IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers—could face fines of up to PKR 1 million, imprisonment for up to three years, or both. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), working in collaboration with PTA, is empowered to take legal action, including seizing the offending devices.
The core issue involves the illegal modification of a phone’s IMEI number, a unique identifier used for registration and tracking.
This manipulation is commonly used to circumvent PTA’s Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS). While some consumers may unknowingly purchase such devices through grey-market channels, the PTA stressed that lack of awareness does not excuse the violation under the law.
