The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has proposed mandatory registration for all travel SIM and eSIM providers operating within the country. Draft International Roaming (Inbound) Regulations, 2026 seek to place these international roaming services under a formal regulatory framework.
Applicants for registration must provide supporting documents, prescribed fees, and completed registration forms to the authority. Companies must also disclose their distribution channels, network providers, associated foreign mobile operators, and a local contact point.
Registered entities are required to distribute or activate travel SIMs and eSIM profiles only through valid agreements with licensed operators or foreign home operators. The framework includes requirements for security deposits, annual registration fees, and periodic renewals.
The PTA is empowered to cancel or suspend registrations if a provider fails to comply with the rules. Providers must establish data-sharing arrangements with the authority to report usage summaries, customer identity verifications, and information on issued SIMs.
The regulator may potentially require providers to link their systems to a designated API or portal for periodic or near-real-time reporting. These measures address concerns that foreign travel eSIMs can be activated in Pakistan without verifying the identity of the user.
Authorities cited challenges regarding national security, financial fraud, and the difficulty of tracing subscribers as reasons for the new rules. A consultation process has been launched by the PTA to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders.
The authority may revise the draft regulations based on this feedback before officially notifying them in the Gazette.
