How to Port Your Mobile Number to Another Network in Pakistan (MNP)
Move your number from Jazz, Zong, Ufone or Telenor under PTA's MNP rules: send MNP to 667, visit with your CNIC, wait 4 days. See the 60 day rule and fixes.
To move your number to another network in Pakistan, send MNP to 667 from that number, then take your original CNIC to the new network's franchise within 10 days. You give your fingerprints, get a new SIM, and the move takes about 4 days. Your number stays the same.
That is mobile number portability, or MNP. PTA made it a right under the Mobile Number Portability Regulations, 2005, and the step by step rules sit in PTA's MNP Porting Process Guidelines, version 7.9.15, dated 13 February 2020. That is the latest version PTA has published.
We read both documents in full. Before you move, look at PTA's network test results for your city, because a move only helps if the new network is actually better where you live.
Porting takes four steps and about four days
You check your details by SMS, visit the new network in person, verify with your thumb, and wait. PTA's guidelines set the normal porting time at four days for prepaid and postpaid numbers, not counting any hold placed by your old network.
- Send MNP to 667 from the number you want to move. The text is not case sensitive. Your current network replies with your name, CNIC number, SIM number (IMSI), activation date and connection type: PRE for prepaid, POS for postpaid, PIR for postpaid with roaming.
- Check the reply. If the name or CNIC is wrong, or the SIM is in someone else's name, fix that first. The port will be rejected otherwise.
- Visit the new network at a customer service centre, franchise or authorised retailer. Take your original CNIC and the phone with the old SIM still inside. Staff ask you to forward the 667 reply to the new network's MNP short code.
- Give your fingerprints. The new network checks your thumb against NADRA's record for the CNIC in the 667 reply. You sign a PTA approved port-in form with the same signature as on your CNIC.
- Wait for the switch. You get a new SIM, which stays inactive until the port is done. When your old SIM loses service, put the new one in.
The SIM holder has to be there in person. The guidelines say staff must match your face with the photo on the original CNIC. A copy is not enough. Foreign nationals show a passport with a valid visa, or a Proof of Registration card.
The 667 reply only works for 10 days
Send the 667 message no more than 10 calendar days before you visit the franchise. If you used it earlier, the old network can reject the request under code R09A, "667 Message Service Not Used". Just send it again on the day you go.
Franchise staff usually handle the new network's short code for you. PTA's guidelines list these.
| Moving to | MNP short code in PTA's list |
|---|---|
| Jazz (listed as Mobilink) | 76300 |
| Zong (listed as CMPak) | 76313 |
| Ufone | 76333 |
| Telenor | 76345 |
The list still has 76321 for Warid, which merged into Jazz years ago, so ask the franchise if a code fails.
A new number must wait 60 days before it can move
You cannot port a number within 60 calendar days of getting it. PTA calls this the Minimum Subscription Period. It also restarts after a port-in or a change of ownership, so a number you just moved or just took over is locked for 60 days.
If you recently put the SIM in your own name through a change of SIM ownership, count 60 days from that date. Simple data corrections, such as a spelling fix in your name or a new CNIC number, do not restart the clock.
Why the old network can reject or hold your request
The old network can only refuse for reasons the operators have agreed and PTA lists. Most rejections come from details that do not match, money still owed, or a number that is too new. Fix the cause and apply again.
| PTA code | Reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| R05A, R05B | Name or CNIC does not match the record | The SIM must be in your name. Check which SIMs are on your CNIC |
| R05C | SIM number does not match | Use the SIM that is in the phone now |
| R06A | Bill or balance outstanding | Clear postpaid dues on the same CNIC first |
| R07A | Number is under 60 days old | Wait until 60 days have passed |
| R04A | Number or SIM is blocked | Unblock it with the old network first |
| R08B | Ownership change is pending | Let that finish, then wait 60 days |
| R09A | 667 not used in last 10 days | Send MNP to 667 again |
Holds are not rejections
A hold pauses the request while an unpaid bill or a contract is settled. Once you pay, the hold should lift.
Prepaid balance is lost and postpaid bills must be paid
Use up your prepaid balance before you port. PTA's guidelines say unused balance on a ported out number is not refunded or adjusted, on a "use or lose" basis. Bundles and loyalty points stay behind too.
Postpaid users must clear the bill up to the day the request reaches the old network. The old network may switch you to prepaid for the last few days, free of charge, or cut your credit limit. It can also stop international roaming as soon as the request arrives, so do not port while you are abroad.
The porting fee is up to the new network
PTA does not fix what you pay. The guidelines leave the fee to the new network's discretion and set only a Rs 250 charge between the two networks, which you do not pay directly. None of the four networks showed a porting fee on its website when we checked, so ask at the counter before you start. If you cancel before the switch, any fee you paid is not refunded.
Check before you switch, and after
Moving back costs another visit and another 60 day wait. Borrow a SIM from the network you want and test it at home first, then compare prices on PTA's tariff tracker so you know what the new bundles cost.
After the move, check that the new SIM shows 4G and that calls work, using the steps to check a 4G SIM and VoLTE. If your phone was paired with the old SIM in PTA's device system, DIRBS, the guidelines tell both networks to carry that pairing over within 24 hours, so a PTA approved phone keeps working.
Customers leaving Onic can use the same process after the Onic shutdown order.
One more thing. A ported number that sees no paid use for 90 days becomes inactive, sits in quarantine for 180 days, and then goes back to its original network. Keep a little balance on it if you rarely use it.
If a network refuses without a listed reason or delays well past four days, complain to it first, then follow the PTA telecom complaint route.
Common questions
How do I port my number from Jazz to Zong?
Send MNP to 667 from your Jazz number, then visit a Zong franchise within 10 days with your original CNIC. The same steps work between any two networks.
How long does MNP take in Pakistan?
Four days under PTA's guidelines, not counting any hold for unpaid bills or a contract.
Will I lose my balance when I port my number?
Yes. Unused prepaid balance is not refunded or moved to the new network, so use it first.
Can I port a SIM that is not in my name?
No. The name and CNIC must match the network's record, and the owner must give fingerprints in person. Transfer the ownership first, then wait 60 days.
Can I port my number again after switching?
Yes, but only after 60 days. A ported-in number has to stay 60 days on its new network before it can move again.
What is 667 used for?
It is the short code that confirms your number, name, CNIC and SIM details before a port. You send MNP to it from the number you want to move.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 9 October 2026. The process, codes, timings and rejection reasons are from PTA's MNP Porting Process Guidelines, version 7.9.15 of 13 February 2020, and the legal right is in the Mobile Number Portability Regulations, 2005, S.R.O. 763(2005). We did not port a number ourselves for this piece, and operators can change their own counter procedures, so confirm the fee and documents at the franchise.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
