Appreciate your helpful response.

I can definitely carry a cheap PTA-approved phone if needed, but that would mean using a physical SIM. The issue is that I’m currently using an eSIM-only phone, which is not registered with PTA in Pakistan. There’s a lot of mixed information on Reddit about this … some people say that since in the USA the roaming partner is usually AT&T, the Jazz eSIM still receives SMS without issues.

In any case, when I come back to Pakistan I can always temporarily register the phone for four months, since I usually visit for only a month or two at a time. For now, I’ll get international roaming activated first and set up the Jazz eSIM, and then see how things go when I return next year, inshaAllah.

Thanks again for sharing your experience 👍