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Pakistan’s Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked nearly 100 million mobile devices during financial year 2024–25, according to reports citing official PTA annual-report material. Most were reported as counterfeit or replica devices, or as phones with duplicated or cloned IMEIs—not phones reported lost or stolen. The blocks were carried out through DIRBS, Pakistan’s system for identifying devices on local mobile networks.

What the nearly 100 million figure includes

Two January 2026 technology publications, PhoneWorld and ProPakistani, reported the figures below from PTA annual-report material. The total is made up of three categories:

Reported device category Devices blocked in FY 2024–25 What the category means
Counterfeit or replica 72 million Devices identified as counterfeit or replica.
Duplicated or cloned IMEI 27 million Devices associated with an IMEI that has been duplicated or cloned.
Reported lost or stolen 868,000 Devices reported lost or stolen.

The reported categories total about 99.9 million. The headline figure therefore does not mean that nearly 100 million stolen phones were blocked: counterfeit or replica devices and cloned-IMEI devices account for almost all of it. The reports do not provide a device-by-device breakdown beyond these categories.

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How DIRBS blocks a device

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) describes the Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) as a system that identifies non-compliant devices operating on local networks, automatically registers compliant devices operating on those networks, and eventually blocks non-compliant ones. DIRBS launched on 1 December 2018, according to the FBR’s DIRBS information page.

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In practical terms, a phone’s network eligibility depends on whether it is identified as compliant under the system. The reported categories indicate reasons devices may be flagged, including counterfeit or replica status, duplicated IMEIs, and lost-or-stolen reports. These figures describe enforcement at system level; they do not establish why a particular phone was blocked.

Why your phone might have been blocked

If your phone has lost access to Pakistani mobile networks, a DIRBS-related compliance issue is one possibility. The reports associate blocks with counterfeit or replica devices, cloned or duplicated IMEIs, and devices reported lost or stolen. They also identify registration and documented import channels as relevant compliance considerations.

A block alone does not show which category applies to your handset. Check its status using the official PTA Device Verification System. The FBR directs international passengers and importers to registration procedures and duty information through its DIRBS guidance. The reviewed sources do not establish a complete appeal process, a device-specific review timeline, or a refund rule for disputed blocks.

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What a cloned IMEI means

An IMEI is the identifier used to distinguish a mobile device on a network. A cloned or duplicated IMEI means that the identifier is associated with more than one device rather than uniquely identifying a single handset. DIRBS reported blocking 27 million devices in this category during FY 2024–25. The figures do not explain how a particular duplication was detected or whether every affected device was knowingly involved.

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How to check whether a phone is PTA compliant

  1. Open the official PTA Device Verification System.
  2. Follow the system’s instructions to check your device status. Use the identifier and details requested by the official service.
  3. If the result indicates a compliance issue, consult the FBR’s DIRBS information page for the applicable registration guidance, including information for international passengers and importers.

The cited sources direct users to the verification system and registration guidance, but do not set out a complete remedy for a disputed block. A status check can help identify whether the phone is recorded as compliant; it does not by itself establish an appeal outcome.

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Why the crackdown matters beyond network access

PTA’s reported enforcement is linked to efforts to curb illegal, counterfeit, and non-compliant handsets, protect consumers, and formalize Pakistan’s mobile-device market. The reports also connect enforcement and the Mobile Device Management Regulations, 2021, with increased local manufacturing and assembly.

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According to figures reported from PTA material, by 2025 more than 95% of mobile devices operating on Pakistani networks were locally manufactured or assembled, including 68% of smartphones. PTA had issued 36 manufacturing authorizations, including to Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo. The reports also cite more than Rs83 billion in PTA-related registration revenue since 2019. These figures describe broader market and revenue outcomes; they do not show that DIRBS enforcement alone caused those changes.

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