PECA 2016 and SIM Ownership
How Pakistan's electronic crimes law applies to SIM registration, identity misuse, and data access.
What is PECA 2016?
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) is Pakistan's cybercrime law. It was amended by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025. PECA covers offences related to electronic systems, data, and identity information.
In plain terms, the law asks one question about data: were you authorised to access it? Obtaining or copying data you are not authorised to see is an offence. So is using another person's identity information, such as their CNIC number, without authorisation. The current text of the law is published on PTA's PECA portal at pecha.gov.pk, and an overview of the Act is on Wikipedia. The 2025 amendment updated several provisions, so trust the current text, not old screenshots.
For SIM owner details, PECA is the reason no public lookup tool exists. Registration records sit with the mobile companies and PTA. The self-check routes let you see your own records and a network name, and that is the whole design.
Key takeaways:
- PECA 2016 is Pakistan's cybercrime law, amended in 2025.
- Section 16 covers unauthorised use of another person's identity information: up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 5 million, or both.
- The official checks (668, cnic.sims.pk, 667, 76367) stay inside the law because they show your own records or a network name.
- Sites promising a stranger's name, CNIC or address sell fabricated or misused data. Report them to NCCIA at 1799.
Section 16: Unauthorised Use of Identity Information
Section 16 of PECA 2016 criminalizes the unauthorised use of another person's identity information. This includes:
- Using someone else's CNIC to register a SIM
- Accessing another person's SIM registration records without authorisation
- Misusing identity documents for SIM-related fraud
Penalty: Up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 5 million, or both.
What You Can Legally Do
- Check SIMs on your own CNIC (668 or cnic.sims.pk)
- Verify the SIM in your own phone (667)
- Check which network a number is on (76367)
- Report fraud to NCCIA (1799) or PTA (0800-55055)
- Block unauthorised SIMs on your CNIC
What You Cannot Do
- Check who owns a number you do not hold
- Access another person's SIM registration records
- Use another person's CNIC or identity for SIM registration
- Publish or share another person's private SIM data
Who Handles What
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| PTA | SIM regulation, complaints, SIM count service |
| NADRA | Identity verification, CNIC records |
| NCCIA | Cybercrime investigation under PECA |
| Mobile operators | SIM registration, issuance, blocking |
SIM Scam Claims vs Legal Reality
Most trouble with PECA starts from a claim someone made online about SIM owner details. Each claim breaks down the same way.
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| "Download this app and search any number by name" | No public SIM database exists in Pakistan. The app shows invented data or harvests yours. |
| "We hold a leaked SIM database, free to browse" | Obtaining or using another person's identity data without authorisation can itself be an offence under PECA. |
| "PTA's website will reveal who owns a number" | PTA's official portal cnic.sims.pk shows a count per company on your own CNIC, and nothing else. |
| "This caller asking for your OTP is from your bank" | Official parties do not ask for OTPs. Sharing one is how SIM swap fraud begins. |
If a SIM on Your CNIC Is Not Yours
Finding an unknown SIM registered against your CNIC is the situation the complaint routes were built for. Move in order.
- Run the official check first. Send your 13-digit CNIC to 668 or open cnic.sims.pk. The result lists a count per company, as explained in our guide to how many SIMs are on your CNIC.
- Visit that company's franchise with your original CNIC. Request disowning of the unauthorised SIM; your fingerprints will be verified.
- If the company does not resolve it, complain to PTA on 0800-55055 or at complaint.pta.gov.pk.
- Report identity misuse to NCCIA at 1799. NCCIA investigates offences under PECA. The full route is covered in blocking unauthorised SIMs.
Evidence to Keep
- A dated screenshot or photo of the 668 reply or the cnic.sims.pk result.
- Complaint numbers and dates from the franchise, PTA and NCCIA.
- The name, web address and screenshots of any site or app that claimed to show SIM owner details.
- Copies of any SMS or call that asked for your CNIC or OTP.
FAQ
What is Section 16 of PECA 2016?
Section 16 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 criminalises the unauthorised use of another person's identity information. Registering a SIM on someone else's CNIC, or misusing identity documents in SIM fraud, can carry up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 5 million, or both.
Is it illegal to check SIM owner details of another person's number?
No official channel shows another person's records to the public, so any site claiming to do so is misusing data or inventing it. Obtaining or using that identity information without authorisation can be an offence under PECA. Your legitimate needs are covered by 668, cnic.sims.pk, 667 and 76367.
Can PTA or NCCIA tell me who owns a number?
Not through a public channel. Access to another person's records happens only through the legal process during an investigation. That is why you report misuse to NCCIA (1799) or PTA (0800-55055) instead of searching websites, as covered in our FAQ.
Does PECA apply to fake SIM database websites?
Yes. A site displaying registration records without authorisation is handling identity data unlawfully, and using its output can make you part of the offence. Report the site to NCCIA and stop entering your own details there.
What changed in the PECA amendment of 2025?
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 updated several provisions of the original law. It did not create a public SIM database. The self-check routes and PTA's complaint channels remain the authorised way to handle SIM records.
Conclusion: Stay Inside the Legal Boundary
PECA 2016 draws one clear line around SIM owner details: your own records are yours to check, and nobody else's records are public. Every official tool described on this site sits inside that line, which is why the answers show a count per company or a network name instead of a stranger's name.
The concrete next step takes five minutes. Send your CNIC to 668 or open cnic.sims.pk, read the count per company, and compare it with your own list of SIMs. If a company's count is too high, start the disowning steps above the same day.