Two identical iPhones can sit side by side at very different prices, and the difference has nothing to do with the hardware. It is about whether the handset is registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority — and the gap is large enough that it is worth understanding before you buy rather than after.
PTA Approved:
The device is registered against its IMEI and works on local networks indefinitely. The registration tax has already been paid, and it is included in what you pay. This is the one to buy if the phone is your daily handset.
Non-PTA:
Unregistered. It will work on a local SIM for a short window and then lose cellular service permanently unless it is registered — and registering it yourself costs a substantial tax that often erases the saving. Fine as a Wi-Fi-only device, a spare, or a camera. Not fine as your only phone.
JV:
Sits between the two. Sold as a handset already tied to a local arrangement, cheaper than PTA-approved and more usable than Non-PTA. Read the specific listing carefully — what JV covers varies by seller more than the other two categories do.
Why this matters when you sell, too:
The same split drives what a shop will pay for your handset. A PTA-approved unit fetches noticeably more than the identical Non-PTA one, because the buyer inherits a registration that would otherwise cost them. When you get a trade-in quote, that is one of the two things it is priced on.
Check before you pay:
Ask for the IMEI and check its status yourself. It takes a minute and it is the only part of this you cannot inspect by looking at the phone.