Web Desk: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has outlined the procedure for blocking mobile phones that are lost, stolen or snatched and restoring network access if the devices are later recovered.
The process is managed through the authority’s Lost and Stolen Device System (LSDS). Users can submit complaints through the PTA Complaint Management System app, available on Android and iOS, or through its online complaint portal.
To request a handset block, applicants must provide their name, father’s name, CNIC number, city and the mobile number that was used in the missing device during the previous six months.
They must also submit the phone’s IMEI number, brand, model and colour, along with information about the circumstances, date and location of the incident.
An email address, postal address and FIR number can be provided but are not mandatory.
The SIM card used in the missing handset must be registered in the complainant’s name against their CNIC. PTA said it cannot process a blocking request if the device has never been connected to a Pakistani SIM.
The authority also uses an OTP sent to the number that was used in the missing handset as part of the verification process.
For PTA-compliant phones carrying two IMEI numbers, blocking one IMEI will automatically disable the second one as well.
This applies even when the owner had been using only one SIM slot at the time the phone went missing.
However, users must ensure that the IMEI and mobile number details submitted in the complaint correspond with each other. If the information does not match, PTA requires the applicant to correct the details and file the complaint again.
Users who cannot submit their complaints online can contact the PTA helpline at 0800-55055 or visit their nearest PTA office.
The authority also allows owners to report phones that went missing months or even years earlier, provided they have the correct IMEI and other required information.
Users can independently check the status of an IMEI by sending the number to 8484, using the DIRBS website or accessing the Device Verification System app.
Once PTA blocks a handset, it can no longer connect to mobile networks operating in Pakistan.
PTA has clarified that the LSDS is designed only to prevent a missing phone from being used on local mobile networks. It does not trace or recover stolen handsets.
Owners seeking to recover their devices must therefore approach the police or the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee.
If a previously blocked handset is found, only the individual who originally requested its blocking can apply for its restoration.
The owner must submit an unblocking request through the complaint system, using the original complaint reference number and CNIC details.
Following verification, PTA said the handset’s IMEI should normally be restored within 24 hours.
The procedure gives users a way to restrict network access to missing phones while also providing a formal route to restore service when the devices are recovered.
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