Pakistan's mobile operators have together lost around 2.7 million mobile subscribers in the first two month after the introduction of restrictions on the direct sale of SIMs through retail channels.
The latest statistics from telecom regulator PTA show that the nation's total mobile subscriber base fell to 120.8 million in January, from 123.6 million million in November.
Over the same period, cellular mobile teledensity dipped from 69.8% to 68%.
Each of Pakistan's five mobile operators were affected. Mobilink's mobile subscriber base was reduced from 36.6 million to 35.9 million over the two months. Telenor Pakistan's base fell to 30.2 million from 30.6 million, while Ufone's base declined from 24.3 million to 23.5 million.
In November, the Pakistani government announced new rules, introduced from December 1, prohibiting the direct sale of SIMs through retail channels. Operators were instead instructed to mail the SIMs to customers based on the address on their national identity card.
Operators were also ordered to block unverified SIMs and to limit the amount that can be registered to any one identity card to five.
Telecom operators have laid the bulk of the blame for the steep declines on the retail sales restrictions, the Express Tribunereported.