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pakistan bans 46 illegal apps

Pakistan Bans 46 Illegal Apps: NCCIA’s Crackdown on Gambling, Trading & Data-Stealing Platforms

Introduction

Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) announced a major crackdown against illegal and harmful mobile applications. A total of 46 apps were declared illegal and blocked nationwide with the help of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The blocked apps mainly fall into three categories:

  • Gambling & Betting apps (illegal in Pakistan)
  • Unlicensed Forex & Binary Trading apps (high financial scam risk)
  • SIM Data & Privacy-risk apps (stealing or misusing personal data)

This move aims to protect Pakistani citizens from fraud, financial losses, identity theft, and exposure to unregulated online gambling platforms.

List of Banned Apps in Pakistan (2025)

Below is the compiled list of apps that were reported across multiple credible news outlets as part of NCCIA’s 46 banned applications.

1. Gambling & Betting Apps

These apps were facilitating illegal gambling, casinos, and betting games:

  1. 1xBet
  2. Aviator (Aviator Games)
  3. Dafabet
  4. 22Bet
  5. Casumo
  6. Rabona
  7. 10Cric
  8. Plinko
  9. Bet365
  10. Chicken Road
  11. Betway
  12. Melbet
  13. Parimatch
  14. BetWinner
  15. 888Starz
  16. Thunderpick

2. Forex & Binary Trading Apps

These platforms were offering unregulated trading, often linked with scams and financial fraud:
17. Binomo
18. IQ Option
19. Pocket Option
20. Deriv
21. Olymp Trade
22. OctaFX
23. Quotex
24. Capital Core
25. IQ Cent
26. Binarium
27. Kalshi
28. InstaForex
29. Evo Trade
30. BinaryMate
31. First Binary Option

3. SIM & Data Privacy-Risk Apps

These applications were collecting and selling Pakistani citizens’ SIM, CNIC, and mobile data without authorization:

32. Sim Owner Details
33. Pak Sim Data
34. Sky Sim Data
35. Sim Tracker
36. Fresh Sim Database

4. Other Apps (Reported Across Sources)

While many outlets highlighted only the prominent names above, NCCIA confirmed that the total count is 46. The remaining apps are believed to be smaller clones and variants of the above platforms (duplicate betting and forex trading apps operating under different names).

For transparency, NCCIA/PTA may release the official government notification with the full detailed list.

Why Were These Apps Banned?

  • Gambling Risks: Online gambling is illegal in Pakistan and exposes users to addiction, financial ruin, and untraceable scams.
  • Unregulated Trading: Many forex and binary trading apps operate without licenses, tricking users with false profit promises while stealing deposits.
  • Privacy Concerns: SIM and data-tracking apps put users at risk of identity theft and fraud by exposing sensitive data.

What Should Users Do?

  • Uninstall immediately if you have any of these apps.
  • Avoid installing apps from unknown or unofficial sources.
  • Report suspicious apps to PTA or NCCIA through official complaint channels.
  • Use only licensed, regulated financial platforms and verified apps.

Conclusion

The ban on these 46 apps in Pakistan highlights the government’s strong stance against illegal online gambling, unregulated trading scams, and data privacy violations. While the official notification may include additional app names not covered in public reports, the list above features the most widely reported applications.

Pakistani users are advised to stay alert, protect their personal information, and avoid downloading unverified apps.

Note: This list is based on reports from multiple news outlets. The official list issued by NCCIA/PTA has not yet been published publicly. As soon as the official list is released, this article will be updated accordingly.

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