How to Port Your Number in Pakistan 2026: MNP, 667 Code and Timeline

This guide explains how to port your number in Pakistan. Mobile Number Portability, or MNP, lets you switch your mobile network without changing your phone number. If Jazz signals are weak in your area but you cannot give up the number everyone knows, you can move that exact number to Zong, Telenor, Ufone or Onic. The process is run under PTA rules, starts with one SMS, and normally finishes in about four working days.

Quick answer: send MNP to 667 from the number you want to move, check the reply shows your own name and CNIC, then visit the new network’s franchise or service centre with your original CNIC and the old SIM still in your phone. You verify with your fingerprint, sign a port-in form, get a new SIM, and wait. When the old SIM loses service, you put the new one in and the number is live on the new network.

What porting keeps and what it changes

The most misunderstood row is the balance one. Use up your balance and let big bundles run down before you port, because nothing carries over to the new SIM.

Before you port: the eligibility checklist

• The SIM must be registered in your own name. The 667 reply shows the registered name and CNIC. If it shows someone else, the port will be rejected. Fix the ownership at your current network’s franchise first.
• 60 days on the network. Operator guides state the port request can be made after 60 days of a new SIM activation or an ownership change.
• Postpaid dues cleared. If you are on postpaid, outstanding bills must be paid before the old network releases the number. Postpaid ports take longer than prepaid for this reason.
• Keep the old SIM active. Do not throw it away or let it get blocked during the process; you need it in the phone when you visit the new franchise.

How to port your number in Pakistan: the steps in order

1. Send MNP to 667 from the number you want to move. The text is not case sensitive and the SMS goes to your current network.
2. Read the reply carefully. It shows your name, CNIC number, SIM number, activation date and connection type (PRE for prepaid, POS for postpaid). If the name or CNIC is wrong, stop and fix the registration first.
3. Visit the new network at a customer service centre, franchise or authorised retailer. Take your original CNIC (a copy is not enough; staff must match your face to the CNIC photo) and the phone with the old SIM inside.
4. Forward the 667 reply to the new network’s MNP short code when the staff ask you to. Each operator has its own code for this step.
5. Give your fingerprints. The new network verifies your thumb against NADRA’s record for the CNIC in the 667 reply, and you sign a PTA-approved port-in form.
6. Take the new SIM. It stays inactive until the port completes, so keep using the old one for now.
7. Wait about four working days. PTA’s guidelines set the normal porting time at four days for prepaid numbers. Postpaid numbers take longer because of the dues settlement.
8. Swap the SIMs. When the old SIM loses service, put the new SIM in. Your number is now live on the new network.

How long it really takes

Four working days is the PTA guideline figure for a clean prepaid port, and most straightforward ports land around there. Weekends and public holidays do not count as working days, so a request filed on Thursday evening may not finish until the following week. If your old network places a hold, for example over a disputed due or a recent ownership change, the clock pauses until the hold is cleared. Postpaid ports average longer because the old operator must confirm all bills are settled before releasing the number.

What happens to your balance, bundles and advance

Your prepaid balance does not move with you, and neither do active bundles, so time the port for when both are nearly used up. If you took an advance balance or a loan on the old SIM, settle it; the old network can hold the port over unpaid amounts. Any free resources the old network gave you, like welcome MBs or loyalty rewards, end with the old connection. On the new network you start fresh, which is why it pays to compare the Jazz monthly internet packages, Zong monthly internet packages, Ufone internet packages and Telenor monthly internet packages before you choose where to land.

What it costs

The SMS to 667 and the port request itself are handled under PTA’s framework; what varies is the new SIM fee at the franchise. Some operators port you in for free as a welcome, others charge a small SIM issuance fee, so ask at the counter before you hand over your CNIC. There is no charge from the old network for letting the number go.

If something goes wrong

• No reply from 667 within 15 minutes. Try once more, then contact your current network’s helpline. Under the PTA guidelines the new operator’s MNP team can also escalate to the old operator’s team directly.
• Name or CNIC mismatch in the reply. Do not proceed. Visit your current network’s franchise and get the SIM registered in your own name with biometric verification first.
• Port rejected. The usual causes are unpaid postpaid dues, a SIM activated or transferred less than 60 days ago, or a registration mismatch. Fix the cause and reapply.
• Old SIM died but new SIM has no service. Give it a few hours; the final switch sometimes lags. If it lasts beyond a day, call the new network’s helpline with your port-in form reference.

An honest verdict on whether to port

Port when the problem is the network: weak signal where you live or work, prices that no longer suit you, or service quality that has slipped. Learning how to port your number in Pakistan is only half the decision; the other half is picking the right destination. Do not port when the problem is the phone: a dying battery, a weak antenna or full storage follows you to every network. And before you move for price alone, check the current bundles on the network you are eyeing, because welcome offers for ported-in customers change and the everyday package prices matter more than any one-time deal.

Frequently asked questions

Will my number change at all?
No. The full number, including the starting digits, stays the same. Only the network behind it changes.

Can I port a postpaid number?
Yes, but clear all outstanding bills first and expect it to take longer than a prepaid port.

Can someone else port my number for me?
No. You must appear in person with your original CNIC, and the biometric verification has to be yours.

Will my WhatsApp and bank SMS codes keep working?
Yes. They are tied to the number, which does not change. You may need to re-verify WhatsApp on the new SIM, which takes a minute.

Can I port back if I regret it?
Yes, the same process works in reverse, subject to the same 60-day rule on the new network.

Sources: PTA MNP Porting Process Guidelines; MNP porting guide, checked 14 October 2026. Franchise-level fees and welcome offers change, so confirm at the counter before you sign the port-in form.