Tech Desk 
Sep 09, 2025
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has officially acknowledged and taken notice today of recent media reports alleging the unauthorised availability of subscriber data online.
In response to the rumours, the PTA clarified that it does not manage or hold subscriber data, as this responsibility lies solely with licensed telecom operators.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the purported data breaches may involve family details, travel records, vehicle registrations, and CNIC copies, which indicate aggregated information from multiple external sources, rather than telecom operators.
It is worth noting that the PTA’s audits have found no breaches within the licensed sector. In its ongoing crackdown on unlawful content, the telecom authority has blocked 1,372 sites, apps, and social media pages involved in selling or sharing personal data.
The interior ministry has constituted a formal inquiry committee to investigate the alleged data breach online, tasked with conducting a thorough and impartial probe into the matter.
Previous reports indicated that sensitive information from the data breach has been circulating online, with illicit traders selling personal data for minimal amounts, such as Rs500 for mobile location details, Rs2,000 for mobile data records, and Rs5,000 for foreign trip information.
Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi acted quickly and ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to begin a thorough investigation into the breach.
The committee's findings will likely help advance data protection measures to ensure that citizens' data remains secure.
