The SIM verification drive lost its pace after the extension in the official deadline for BVS verification. Sources confirmed that to date (08-03-2015) 68.7 million SIMs verified through Biometric System against 53 million CNIC and about 10.8 million SIMs were disowned or blocked so far.
Updated official stats as on 08-3-2015 are given below:
| CNIC Verified | SIMs Verified (against CNIC) | SIMs Disowned for Blocking | SIMs Blocked | |
| Total | 53,075,214 | 68,764,886 | 10,946,342 | 8,255,695 |
These official figures show that SIM verification process is losing its pace after the surprise extension in the official deadline. Contrary to this, government has decided not to extend the official deadline (14-4-2015) for biometric verification of unregistered/non-verified SIMs.
It’s worth mentioning here that government and cellular companies had reportedly reached an understanding on extension of the official deadline for SIM blocking. Moreover, it was decided that not a single SIM would be automatically blocked because the concerned authorities were expecting a huge loss in their quarterly earnings.
All cellular networks confirmed that unregistered SIM owners will receive an SMS message mentioning a specific time frame for BVS verification. Ironically, two weeks passed but still millions of unregistered SIMs are active and not a single alert has been delivered to unverified SIMs. As per the Interior Ministry’s direction, the unverified SIMs will be blocked soon after the extended deadline.
No BVS facility for SIMs on roaming
Government and cellular networks have not provided any BVS facility to unregistered SIMs on roaming. Millions of Pakistanis who are living in Middle East, Europe and North America have requested many times for a swift action and quick remedy for SIM verification. These Pakistanis are sending a huge chunk of their earnings to their families living in Pakistan, which ultimately affects positivity on our foreign reserves. However, the government and cellular companies are reluctant to provide BVS machines in Pakistani Consulates and High Commissions across the globe.
