MNP 667 Code Explained: Verify Your SIM in Seconds
Someone hands you a phone with a SIM already in it and says, "It's in my name, I think." Or your dad asks you to move his number to another network and neither of you can remember whose CNIC it was registered under. In both cases, one short text settles the question. You send the word MNP to 667, and the network tells you exactly what it has on record for that SIM. It's quick, but it's also widely misunderstood, so this guide covers what the reply contains, what it can't do, how it fits into switching networks, and how to keep it from becoming a security problem.
Text MNP to 667 from the SIM you want to check. The reply is that SIM's own registration record: number, registered name, CNIC, activation date and connection type. It only works from the SIM itself, so it can't look up a stranger. It's also step one of porting your number to another network.
What the 667 reply is built from
MSISDN: 03XXXXXXXXX NAME: REGISTERED NAME AS IN THE OPERATOR'S RECORDS CNIC: THE 13-DIGIT ID THE SIM IS REGISTERED UNDER IMSI: A 10 OR 12-DIGIT SIM IDENTIFIER ACTIVATION-DATE: DD-MM-YYYY CONNECTION-TYPE: PRE / POS / PIR
Field layout from PTA's MNP guidelines, with placeholders instead of real data. Some guides report partly masked CNIC digits on live networks, so your reply may look slightly different.
Those numbers come from PTA's published guidelines, and they explain most of the confusion around this code. We'll unpack each one.
"I want to switch networks and keep my number"
Here's the journey from the first text to the new SIM.
See the journey →"Someone ported my number without me"
There's a defined recovery process. Move quickly.
See what to do →One Code, Two Jobs
On paper, 667 is the "Pre-NPR verification" step of Mobile Number Portability, the system that lets you change networks without changing your number. PTA's MNP Porting Process Guidelines describe it plainly: the subscriber gets their name, ID and SIM details from the current operator by sending a text string to 667.
In practice, because that step has the network state in writing who a SIM is registered to, people also use it as a quick ownership check on the SIM in their hand. Both uses are legitimate. Just remember the phrase "in their hand", because it's the whole catch, and it's why this guide says your SIM rather than any SIM. One caveat before we go on: the guidelines I'm quoting are PTA's published version 7.9.15, and operators may have refined details since, so treat specifics as a solid baseline and confirm them at the counter.
Sending MNP in 30 Seconds
- Put the SIM you want to check in a phone. It has to be the one you send from.
- Open your messaging app and start a new message to 667.
- Type MNP. Capitals don't matter. PTA's guidelines accept any mix of upper and lower case.
- Send it. Standard SMS rates apply. Jazz once quoted Rs. 2 plus taxes, but confirm the current charge with your network.
- Wait for the reply. You'd normally expect it within minutes. PTA's own process treats 15 minutes as the point where a missing or incomplete reply should be escalated.
- Save it privately. Take a screenshot for your records, but don't post it anywhere, because it contains your ID details.
Some older guides say to send a blank SMS. PTA's guidelines specify the text MNP, so use that and skip the guesswork.
Reading the Reply, Field by Field
Each line has a job, and a few of them decide whether a port succeeds.
| Field | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| MSISDN | The mobile number of the SIM you sent from | Must match the number being ported |
| NAME | The registered subscriber's name | Compared with your ID at the new operator |
| CNIC | The ID the SIM is registered under. PTA's format shows 13 digits | Fed into biometric verification. A different person's CNIC means a different person must be present |
| IMSI | A technical identifier tied to the physical SIM card | Confirms the SIM in your hand matches the record |
| ACTIVATION-DATE | When service began, or when ownership changed or the number was ported | Starts the 60-day clock for porting out |
| CONNECTION-TYPE | PRE for prepaid, POS for postpaid, PIR for postpaid with international roaming | Decides whether dues need settling before a port |
Why so much detail? Because a port can't begin until the current network says, in writing, who a number belongs to. The new operator then checks that against the person standing at its counter.
Why the Title Says "Your" SIM
The check only works from the SIM itself. PTA's process even verifies possession by having the holder send and receive that very message, or by calling the number to confirm the SIM is physically present. That design is deliberate, and it means 667 cannot do any of the following:
- Look up someone else's number. There is no legitimate public tool for that, and using another person's identity information without permission can be an offence under PECA 2016.
- Count the SIMs on your CNIC. That's a different service, covered below.
- Change anything. It reports a record. It doesn't edit, block or transfer it.
What it is good for is answering practical questions about a SIM you genuinely hold: whose name it's registered under, when it was activated, and whether it's prepaid or postpaid.
When the Name on the Reply Isn't Yours
This surprise is more common than you'd think. A relative bought the SIM years ago, or an employer registered it, and you've simply been using it. It works fine, right up until you try to port it or something goes wrong.
The registered person is the one the system recognises. For a port, the name and ID you present must match the record, and the person must be there in the flesh. For a change of ownership, PTA's guidelines describe the current titled owner and the actual user both attending with original CNICs, or an authority letter for a representative. In plain terms, sort out whose name the number is in before you need it in a hurry. Our CNIC SIM check guide is a good next stop if you also want to know what else is registered on your ID.
The Porting Journey, Start to Finish
Here is how switching networks works under PTA's guidelines, in five stages.
Text MNP
Send it to 667 from the SIM you want to move.
Check the match
The reply's name and ID must match the person porting.
Visit the new operator
Go with your original CNIC. The reply is forwarded to its MNP short code.
Biometrics
The CNIC from the reply is verified by fingerprint through NADRA.
Wait and switch
You get an inactive SIM, and the port completes in the normal time.
A few details are worth knowing. The forwarding short code belongs to the new operator, so ask the franchise which one to use, because older lists show codes that predate the Telenor–Ufone merger. PTA's guidelines set four days as the normal porting time, and MNP services are meant to run 9 AM to 5 PM on business days. The new operator may charge a porting fee at its own discretion. Any unused prepaid balance on the number you leave isn't refunded, so spend it first.
You can start at any of these official sites: Jazz, Zong, Ufone or Onic. Numbers in the AJK series aren't eligible for porting under the guidelines.
The 10-Day and 60-Day Rules
Two clocks catch people out, so it helps to keep them straight.
- The 60-day rule. A newly activated or ported-in number can't be ported out for up to 60 days, and the same applies after a change of ownership. The activation date in your reply tells you when the clock started.
- The 10-day rule. Under PTA's guidelines, a port can be rejected if the number didn't use the 667 service within 10 calendar days before the request. Corporate accounts are exempt. So don't run the check weeks early "to be ready". Run it when you're about to go.
In May 2026, PTA lengthened the SIM disowning period from 60 to 365 days. That is a separate rule about removing a SIM from your name. The 60 days here is about porting a number to another network.
Why Ports Get Rejected
PTA's guidelines list standard rejection reasons, so when a port fails you usually get a code and a cause. These are the ones you're most likely to meet.
| Code | Reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| R05A | Name mismatch. The person porting isn't the registered owner | Bring the registered person. Minor spelling differences aren't meant to cause rejection |
| R05B | ID number mismatch | Compare the CNIC in your 667 reply with your card |
| R05C | SIM and number mismatch | Use the SIM that belongs to the number, and resend the 667 check |
| R06A | Balance outstanding | Clear dues with the current operator |
| R07A | New subscription, under 60 days | Wait until the 60 days are up |
| R09A | 667 service not used in the last 10 days | Run the check again just before the request |
| R03A / R04A | Number disconnected or blocked | Resolve the status with the current operator first |
Notice how many of these come back to the 667 reply. It's the reference document for the whole process, which is why it pays to read it carefully before you set off.
If the Reply Is Late, Odd or Missing
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing after 15 minutes | Balance, signal, or a delay at the network | Check balance and signal. At a franchise, the new operator can raise it with the current one, which is expected to resend within about an hour |
| A reply with fields missing | Incomplete record data | Treat it like a missing reply and ask the franchise to escalate |
| A name spelled slightly differently | Data entry variations | Usually not the grounds for rejection, but tell the franchise |
| Odd details on a very new SIM | Records not yet synced | Older official guidance notes placeholder details for a few days. Try again later |
| A different person's name | The SIM is registered to someone else | See the section on names above |
667 vs 668 vs the Portal
People mix these up because the numbers look alike. They answer different questions.
| Service | The question it answers | Send from | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 667 (text MNP) | "Who is this SIM registered to?" | The SIM itself | That SIM's registration record |
| 668 | "How many SIMs are on my CNIC?" | Any active SIM | A count per mobile company |
| cnic.sims.pk | The same question as 668 | A browser | An operator-wise count |
They work well together. PTA's guidelines note that its database updates the 668 data after a port completes, so a quick 668 check afterwards confirms your count looks right. Our 668 SMS code guide and cnic.sims.pk portal guide cover those two in detail, and checking SIM owner details by CNIC compares every method. If you just want your own number, see how to find your own number.
Treat the Reply Like a Bank Statement
The 667 reply contains your name and ID details, and it's the document that starts a port. That makes it valuable to the wrong person.
- Forward it only to the new operator, and only at the counter where you're doing the port. Never forward it to a number or person who messages you asking for it.
- Don't post screenshots online, even with a few digits hidden.
- Never share an OTP with anyone claiming to be PTA or your network.
- Avoid "SIM data" websites. They can't legitimately show another person's details, and using them can be an offence. Our Pak Sim Data fact-check explains how they work.
- Fingerprints belong at authorised counters. PTA advises getting SIMs and doing verification only at authorised franchises or customer service centres.
If someone asks you to send them your 667 reply for a "verification", a "prize" or a "free upgrade", stop. That reply is what a port request is built on.
If Your Number Was Ported Without You
It's rare, but it happens: a number moves networks without the owner's consent, and the SIM in your phone suddenly goes dead. PTA's guidelines define a recovery process. As the owner, you start it with the operator you were originally with.
- Act fast. Contact your original operator, in person if you can, and say the port wasn't yours.
- Make a written complaint. Include the date, a short statement of the problem, the number, another contact number if you have one, and your signature.
- Show your original CNIC. The operator will view it and keep a copy.
- Expect a case to be opened. The operator sends the evidence onward, and the industry body handling porting, PMD, opens a fraud case with a case ID.
- Recovery. If the port is agreed to be fraudulent, the number is blocked immediately and a port-back is arranged, with a timeline set out in the guidelines.
- Escalate if it stalls. Report to PTA on 0800-55055 or through its online complaint portal, as PTA's press releases ask citizens to do.
Habits That Save Trouble
- Run 667 at the counter, not weeks before, so the 10-day rule never bites.
- Compare the name and CNIC in the reply with your card before anyone touches a biometric device.
- Spend your prepaid balance before you port.
- Run a 668 check before and after, and keep both screenshots privately.
- If the SIM you use is in someone else's name, sort out ownership on a quiet day, not in a crisis.
MNP 667: FAQs
What is the 667 code?
Do I type MNP or send a blank message?
Can I use 667 to check any number?
What details does the reply show?
Does 667 cost money?
How long does the reply take?
Why was my port rejected for not using 667?
What's the difference between 667 and 668?
Can I port a number registered in someone else's name?
Is it safe to share my 667 reply?
Know Your SIM Before You Move It
One text tells you whose name a SIM is in. That's worth knowing before a network switch, not during one.
Related guides: SIM Owner Details (main guide) · 668 SMS Code Explained · cnic.sims.pk Portal Guide · CNIC SIM Check · Check SIM Owner Details by CNIC · SIM Owner Details Online Check · Number Details Check · Check Zong SIM Owner Details.
Note: MNP rules, fees and short-code charges can change. Confirm current details on pta.gov.pk or with your operator. This site is independent and is not a PTA service.