PTA plans to verify SIM using facial recognition

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is working on a new verification system to further simplify the SIM registration process, under which citizens whose fingerprints cannot be verified through the biometric system will be given the facility to prove their identity through facial recognition through NADRA’s Pak ID app.

According to sources, the main objective of the proposed system is to provide convenience to those users who constantly face difficulties in verifying fingerprints. These include especially senior citizens, labourers and those people whose process of obtaining a SIM is affected due to unclear fingerprints.

The PTA has submitted a detailed report on its progress in this regard to the government and parliament. The report states that significant progress has been made in developing a secure and permanent alternative verification system, and NADRA’s Pak ID app has been declared a suitable platform for this purpose.

According to the proposal, the authority has formally requested NADRA to provide a facial recognition facility along with fingerprints through the Pak ID app. If approved, users will be able to register their SIMs through facial recognition at customer service centres and franchises of mobile companies across the country.

PTA maintains that this method will enable secure identification of users, while the process of issuing SIMs will also become easier and more efficient than before. According to the organisation, mobile operators have also completed initial technical preparations for this system, and trial phases have also been successfully completed with NADRA.

The report further stated that 70,871 SIMs have been issued through alternative verification methods since January 2025. This facility was given to those whose fingerprints could not be verified through the usual biometric system. Such users completed their identification on the basis of letters or medical certificates issued by NADRA, which helped them get SIMs without unnecessary delay.

The PTA says that the final decision on the proposed system will be taken after the approval of the relevant agencies. If approved, this facial recognition-based facility could help make SIM registration more convenient for thousands of users across the country while maintaining the security standards of identity.