The six most common reasons 668 fails

1. Dashes or spaces in the CNIC

PTA's 668 service (confirmed by notices of 10 November 2023 and 31 December 2025) accepts only the 13 digits, nothing else. Dashes, spaces, slashes or words all cause the message to be rejected or misread. Remove every non-digit character.

2. Wrong digit count

A Pakistani CNIC is exactly 13 digits. If you typed 12 or 14, the message is invalid. Count the digits: the format is XXXXX-XXXXXXX-X (5 + 7 + 1 = 13). Type all 13 without separators.

3. Using the dialler instead of Messages

668 is an SMS short code, not a phone number you can call. Open your phone's Messages app (not the dialler), start a new text, type the 13 digits, and send to 668. Calling 668 will not work.

4. Shortcode blocked by your network

Some prepaid plans or corporate SIMs block premium SMS shortcodes. If you get "message not sent" or no reply after 5 minutes, try from a different number on a different network. Jazz, Zong, Ufone and Telenor all support 668, but individual plans may restrict it.

5. Network congestion or downtime

PTA's 668 service can be slow during peak hours or maintenance. Wait 10-15 minutes and try again. If repeated sends fail, switch to the web portal.

6. Your CNIC has no registered SIMs

If PTA replies with "no record found" or "0 SIMs", it means no SIM is currently registered on that CNIC. This is not an error — it means your CNIC is clean. If you expected SIMs to show, contact your operator.

Alternative: use cnic.sims.pk

If SMS 668 fails, use PTA's web portal:

Go to cnic.sims.pk in your browser.
Enter your 13-digit CNIC (with or without dashes — the portal accepts both).
Complete the CAPTCHA.
The result shows SIM count per company, same as the SMS reply.

The portal is free and works on any device with internet. It is the same PTA database as 668.

Still not working?

If neither 668 nor cnic.sims.pk works after trying the steps above:

Call PTA helpline: 0800-55055 (toll-free)
File a complaint at complaint.pta.gov.pk
Visit your nearest PTA regional office with your original CNIC

Back to the 668 guide