Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Sep 20, 2025
Given a frenzy over the alleged breach and sale of Pakistani citizens' personal data on the Dark Web, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman confirmed that citizens' personal data has been spotted on the Dark Web.
The jaw-dropping claim was made during a Senate Standing Committee meeting on IT, whose focal point was the ongoing media buzz about a significant data breach in the telecom sector.
The PTA chairman stated: “A report surfaced three weeks ago indicating that some Pakistani citizens’ data had appeared on the Dark Web. Upon verification, we found that the personal data of Pakistani citizens was indeed available there.”
The leaked information reportedly includes copies of national identity cards (CNICs), travel histories, and mobile SIM details.
Regarding the selling of Pakistanis' SIM data, he explained that mobile SIM data is not stored in a central database but is maintained separately by each telecom company.
“What’s alarming is how this scattered data ended up collectively on the Dark Web,” he said.
He added that the data of Hajj applicants from Pakistan was also compromised and is now online for sale.
The PTA is currently analysing the leaked data to determine whether the data is outdated or belongs to a recent breach. Besides, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is also closely monitoring and investigating the incident.
It was further revealed that each SIM data profile can be purchased on the Dark Web for as little as Rs500.
