ISLAMABAD, AUG 30: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has upgraded its Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) to prevent the use of unregistered mobile phones in the country.

According to the PTA, mobile phones that remain unregistered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and for which duties and taxes are not paid within 60 days will be blocked from network access.

As part of the upgrade, the PTA has offloaded old IMEI records of mobile devices. The authority stated that this measure aims to enhance the operational efficiency and administrative capability of DIRBS.

The PTA added that the system overhaul would assist both the authority and mobile network operators in managing the platform more effectively. The initiative is also expected to encourage users to register their devices by paying the applicable FBR duties and taxes.

Moreover, the PTA said that any unregistered mobile device will remain active on the network for only 60 days. If customs duties and taxes are not paid within this period, the device will be blocked again.