Onic is shutting down new sales — what now?

What happened

On 15 September 2026 it was reported that the PTA had ordered Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML) — the company behind Ufone — to immediately stop new sales, activations, SIM and eSIM issuance, subscriptions, marketing and other commercial operations of Onic.

The PTA's reasoning is that Onic had grown beyond a brand: it runs its own packages, separate CRM and billing, dedicated customer care, and a separate company (DTMS) handling customer-facing work. On that basis the regulator placed Onic within the MVNO framework, which needs its own licence. PTML's position was that Onic is simply its digital brand.

• Business Recorder — PTA orders PTML to immediately halt ONIC operations
• TechJuice — PTA orders immediate shutdown of ONIC operations
• Pakistan Observer — PTA orders Ufone operator to halt ONIC sales, activations

What happens to existing Onic users

The PTA has given PTML three months from receipt of the order to migrate existing Onic subscribers to PTML, solely so current customers are not disrupted. The regulator was explicit that this window is not permission to keep operating Onic.

PTML must also file a compliance report within seven working days confirming Onic's commercial operations have stopped.

How numbers move and what happens to packages has not been announced. If you are an Onic user, wait for official word from Ufone or Onic, and be wary of any unofficial offer to "save your number".

How this came about

• June 2023: PTML told the PTA it planned to launch the app-based service.
• August 2023: the PTA halted the launch and clarified that no new operator had been licensed to offer mobile services in Pakistan.
• February 2026: the Islamabad High Court sent the matter back to the PTA for a decision.
• September 2026: the PTA ordered Onic's new sales and activations stopped.

• PTA — Clarification regarding "ONIC" by PTML

You can't get a new Onic connection — so what are the options?

It depends on what you actually need:

• A Pakistani number with calls and SMS: take a SIM from any licensed operator — Jazz, Zong, Telenor or Ufone. That needs a PTA-registered phone and biometric verification.
• A non-PTA phone that only needs internet: a data-only roaming eSIM, such as eJurs. The data arrives as roaming traffic over a partner network, so the handset does not need PTA registration. Plans start at Rs. 380.

To be straight about it: eJurs is not a full replacement for Onic. There is no Pakistani number, no calls and no SMS. If Onic was your main number, an operator SIM is the route for that — eJurs is for data.

• Jazz, Zong and Ufone eSIM prices and conditions

Setting up eJurs on a non-PTA phone

Check two things first; the rest takes a couple of minutes.

1. Dial *#06#. If an EID appears alongside the IMEI, the phone supports eSIM.
2. Make sure the phone is not JV (carrier-locked) — no eSIM works on a locked handset.
3. Choose a plan on eJurs and pay.
4. The QR code arrives on WhatsApp and by email. Scan it under Add eSIM in your phone's settings.
5. Set the eJurs line for mobile data and turn Data Roaming on.

Has Onic shut down completely?

The order is to stop new sales, activations and SIM/eSIM issuance immediately. Existing users have a three-month window to be moved to PTML (Ufone).

Will my Onic number keep working?

The PTA gave three months to migrate existing subscribers to PTML so their service is not disrupted. How numbers and packages move will be announced by Ufone or Onic.

Does the PTA order apply to eJurs?

The order concerns Onic, which the PTA found to be operating as an unlicensed MVNO. eJurs is not a Pakistani SIM or MVNO — it is a data-only roaming eSIM.

Can I make normal calls with eJurs?

No. There are no normal calls or SMS and no Pakistani number. WhatsApp, IMO and Messenger calls run over data.