SIM stopped working after 60 days?
A phone that worked fine for two months and then lost all cellular service has almost certainly hit the PTA registration deadline. Here is what happened and what to do about it.
The 60-day window
A phone brought into Pakistan — typically by a traveller or bought non-PTA — may use a Pakistani SIM for a grace period of about 60 days from first use. On the day after it ends, the network stops accepting the IMEI and the SIM goes dead for calls and data, even though Wi-Fi still works.
Policy details and timelines are set by PTA and can change, so confirm the current window on PTA’s own channels rather than on hearsay.
How to fix it
Register the device with PTA through the DIRBS portal (dirbs.pta.gov.pk) and pay any applicable duty. Overseas Pakistanis and frequent travellers may be able to use PTA’s temporary registration facility; check the current options on PTA’s site.
The duty amount is set by PTA and FBR and changes — check the current figure on PTA’s own tool, and do not pay a third party who promises to "unblock" a phone outside the official process.
Before you buy, avoid the surprise
If you are buying a phone, this is exactly why you check the status first: a phone that has signal in the shop may still be on a grace period that ends after you have paid. Check the IMEI on 8484 — a Compliant result means registered; Valid means the block is still coming.
Common questions
- Is my SIM the problem or the phone?
- If other phones work on the same SIM, it is the phone’s registration, not the SIM. Check the IMEI on 8484.
- Can I get the 60 days back after it is blocked?
- No. Once blocked, the fix is registration through PTA, not a new grace period.
- Someone offered to unblock it cheaply. Safe?
- Be very careful. Registration is done through PTA’s official system; services that claim to bypass it are a common scam.