Pakistan, March 25 -- On Tuesday, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) arrested the owner of a telecom franchise allegedly involved in illegally issuing SIMs in Mianwali as a part of its ongoing countrywide crusade, bringing into sharp focus a threat that goes well beyond mere regulatory oversight. Today, when hybrid warfare and cyber-attacks have become part and parvel of everyday reality, unregistered SIM cards serve as powerful tools in the hands of criminals and terror financiers. The stakes are extraordinarily high for Pakistan, a nation marked by regional volatility and in no place to afford any digital vulnerabilities.

Since last year, the Authority has intensified its crackdown against illicit actors, working closely with ...