Pakistan is considering facial and iris recognition for SIM issuance as concerns grow over the security of the existing biometric system.
Authorities have acknowledged that the fingerprint-based system may no longer provide sufficient protection against identity and financial fraud.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told a National Assembly committee that the current system had failed to completely prevent fraud.
However, authorities have blocked millions of illegal SIM cards as part of an ongoing crackdown against their misuse.
The government has blocked 18.2 million illegal SIM cards over the past two and a half years.
Despite these efforts, officials said criminals continue to exploit weaknesses within the existing system.
Fingerprint Data Theft Raises Security Concerns
PTA Chairman retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman raised concerns over the alleged theft and misuse of fingerprints.
He told the committee that scammers were obtaining fingerprints from several public facilities.
These facilities reportedly include airports, driving licence centres and passport offices.
He also said fingerprints could possibly be obtained from NADRA.
According to the PTA chief, criminals were bypassing the biometric system currently used for SIM issuance.
The concerns have increased pressure on authorities to consider stronger identification methods for telecom services.
Criminals Exploit Gaps in SIM Verification
NCCIA Director Irfanullah Khan also briefed the committee about criminal networks exploiting weaknesses in the existing system.
He said the agency had seized 195 active SIM cards and 81 ATM cards allegedly used by scammers.
The NCCIA and PTA also conducted raids at 110 facilities during their crackdown.
As a result, authorities blocked 29,000 illegal SIM cards and arrested 171 suspects.
Officials also recovered data belonging to 600,000 people during the operations.
The figures highlighted the scale of the challenges facing authorities as they attempt to prevent the misuse of SIM cards.
Government Eyes Stronger SIM Security
Tallal Chaudhry also expressed concern over the increasing use of rented or mule bank accounts.
According to the minister, such accounts were being used to launder proceeds generated through scams.
He called on telecom companies to strengthen their security systems while working closely with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The PTA chairman proposed that SIM cards should only be issued through NADRA’s PAKID system.
The proposal aims to strengthen the verification process by relying on the national identity database.
Meanwhile, an official from the State Bank of Pakistan suggested linking each SIM card to a single IMEI number.
This measure could provide another layer of identification for mobile connections.
Proposal for Automatic SIM Alerts
MNA Khawaja Izharul Hassan proposed another measure to help citizens monitor SIM registrations against their CNICs.
He suggested sending automatic SMS alerts whenever more than one SIM is issued against a citizen’s CNIC.
Such notifications could allow citizens to identify unexpected SIM registrations more quickly.
The proposal came as authorities examined several ways to strengthen safeguards around the issuance and use of mobile connections.
Committee Seeks Coordinated Action
The committee directed the Interior Ministry to bring together the relevant institutions to address the issue.
The SBP, PTA, NCCIA and telecom operators will work towards developing measures to curb illegal SIM issuance.
The committee also called for legislative, regulatory and technical measures to strengthen cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, the consideration of facial and iris recognition reflects growing concerns about vulnerabilities in the existing fingerprint-based system.
Authorities are now examining alternative biometric methods alongside other safeguards to make SIM issuance more secure.
