Stolen & PTA Phone Check Guide

Dial *#06#on the phone to instantly display its IMEI number(s). Dual-SIM and eSIM phones show two IMEI numbers — you'll need both.

Type the 15-digit IMEI with no spaces or dashes and send it as an SMS to 8484. You'll get a reply within a few minutes with one of these statuses:

• Compliant — fully PTA-registered, safe to use.
• GSMA Valid (Non-Compliant) — a genuine device not yet registered; you can register and pay tax via DIRBS.
• Non-Compliant — the IMEI appears duplicated or invalid.
• Stolen / Blocked — reported stolen or lost by its original owner. This cannot be unblocked by paying any tax — do not buy a phone with this status.

If your phone shows as non-compliant, register it at dirbs.pta.gov.pk within 60 days of first using it on a local SIM, and pay the applicable customs duty shown in the portal. Overseas Pakistanis and foreign visitors are generally eligible for a longer temporary registration window — check the portal for current terms, since exact allowances can change.

Send your CNIC number as an SMS to 668to see how many mobile SIMs are currently registered against it — useful for spotting SIMs you didn't register yourself.

1. File a police report (FIR) as soon as possible.
2. Contact your mobile network operator to block the SIM.
3. Report the IMEI as lost/stolen through PTA's Complaint Management System so it gets blacklisted network-wide — this is what prevents anyone else from using the device on a Pakistani network, even with a different SIM.

Always ask the seller to dial *#06# in front of you, then check that exact IMEI via SMS to 8484 before paying. A "Stolen/Blocked" reply means the phone is worthless for network use in Pakistan — walk away regardless of the price.