The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has clarified that users disowning unused or unnecessary SIMs do not have to pay any charges until December 31.

The PTA announcement came in response to a query on social media where a user claimed that his network was charging him money for the return of his SIM even though the cut off date has not been reached.

PTA said that consumers can lodge complaint with the PTA in such cases through the helpline, the Authority’s web portal or the mobile application.

In November, PTA had announced that telecommunication operators would be allowed to charge users upto Rs200 for disowning their SIMs.

The charge can be avoided if the SIMs are returned by December 31.

“By doing so, consumers can avoid SIM disowning charge and contribute towards responsible usage of SIMs,” PTA had said.

The authority had said that the measure would allow PTA to maintain its commitment to national safety and security.