Govt Threatens to Take PTA, Telcos to Court For Refusing to Block SIMs

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is considering legal action against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and telecom companies for refusing its orders to block mobile phone SIMs of 506,671 non-filers, high-level sources told ProPakistani. Sources said if the PTA and telecom companies fail to block the SIMs by May 15, the FBR will pursue legal action, with plans to file a petition in the Islamabad High Court. Both the FBR and Finance Ministry officials have agreed to go ahead with this course of action against the telecom companies and PTA for their deliberate defiance of the FBR order. Sources said both the PTA and telcos haven’t complied with the order for more than 10 days. The PTA and telecom companies have previously argued that the SIM blocking order is a direct violation of fundamental civil rights and exceeds their jurisdiction. But authorities don’t care. In addition to legal discourse, the government is considering imposing additional taxes on non-filers. Among the proposals is a 2.5 percent additional withholding tax on non-filers SIMs, along with more taxes on mobile and data load transactions. The federal government is forcefully preparing to take action against non-filers if compliance is not achieved by May 15, sources added.