Etisalat’s India/Pakistan 5 Fils per Minutecalling pack is essential for South Asian expats in the UAE. Subscribe once and pay just 0.05 AED per minutefor calls to India or Pakistan — versus AED 0.30+ at standard rates.
Plan Details
- Price:30 AED
- Data:N/A (Calling pack)
- Validity:30 days
- Activation:Dial *135*79# (India) or *135*80# (Pakistan)
- Deactivation:Dial *135*99# or SMS “STOP INDIA” to 1010
- Auto-renew:Yes (cancel anytime)
- Customer care:101
Why This Plan?
- Subscription fee:AED 30/month per pack
- India pack:Dial *135*79#
- Pakistan pack:Dial *135*80#
- Rate after pack:5 Fils (AED 0.05) per minute
- Auto-renewsmonthly
Pro Tips
- Pays for itself after about 600 minutes of calls per month (compared to standard rates).
- Activate before you call — the rate only applies during an active subscription period.
- Use WhatsApp / IMO / BOTIM for free voice/video calls home over Wi-Fi where possible.
- Stack with a data pack so you can use both calling and online calls.
Who Really Needs the 5 Fils India / Pakistan Pack
Despite WhatsApp and IMO covering 90% of expat calling, there are specific scenarios where the actual operator pack genuinely matters:
- Calling elderly relatives in India / Pakistan villages— older generation in tier-3 cities and rural areas often don’t use smartphones; they answer the regular landline / non-smartphone, which WhatsApp doesn’t reach.
- Calling Indian / Pakistani government offices— passport / Aadhaar / NADRA / consulate helplines are landline-only and don’t accept WhatsApp calls.
- Calling banks & insurance back home— HDFC, SBI, ICICI, Habib, MCB customer-service lines are toll-free domestic-only numbers; international callers pay standard rates.
- Emergency calls at 3am— when internet is unreliable, mobile networks are not. The pack is a fallback you don’t want to discover you don’t have during a medical or family emergency.
Activation Pitfalls & Real-World Tips
Critical gotcha #1: The pack is per-country, not regional. Subscribing to the India pack (*135*79#) does NOT cover Pakistan; you need to subscribe to the Pakistan pack (*135*80#) separately. They’re AED 30 each (AED 60/month combined).
Critical gotcha #2: The 5-fils rate only applies to landlines and basic mobile numbers. Indian Reliance Jio numbers, some operator-specific premium numbers, and special service numbers (1900, 1800, 1860) bill at standard international rates. If you’re calling a number that’s priced higher than expected, check whether it’s a Jio number.
Critical gotcha #3: The pack does NOT cover SMS to India / Pakistan. International SMS is charged at full standard rates (AED 1+ per SMS). Use WhatsApp for messaging, the pack for voice.
Pro tip: If 80%+ of your international calls are to one specific country, an eSIM from Airalo or Holafly for unlimited WhatsApp/data calls home is sometimes cheaperthan this pack — especially if the recipient also has a smartphone with WhatsApp.
Plan Details
| Price | 30 AED |
| Data | N/A (Calling pack) |
| Validity | 30 days |
| Activation | Dial *135*79# (India) or *135*80# (Pakistan) |
| Deactivation | Dial *135*99# or SMS "STOP INDIA" to 1010 |
| Auto-Renew | Yes |
| SIM Type | Prepaid |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I save vs standard?
Standard India/Pakistan rates are ~AED 0.30+/min. With the pack, calls are AED 0.05/min — over 80% savings.
India and Pakistan both included?
No — separate packs. Subscribe to both for AED 60/month total.
Works on postpaid?
Primarily a Wasel prepaid pack. Postpaid plans often include international minute bundles built-in.
How to cancel?
Dial *135*99# or SMS "STOP INDIA" / "STOP PAKISTAN" to 1010.
Includes mobile and landlines?
Yes — covers calls to both mobiles and landlines in India / Pakistan.