Islamabad High Court had previously held the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) from blocking non-filers SIM.
FBR had directed PTA to block SIMs of non-filers.
The petition in IHC was filed by Zong, a private telecommunication firm, stating an expected loss of Rs.1.1 billion in total to the telecom industry.
Also Read: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Recently Suspended The Federal Court Decision To Block SIMs Of Non-Filers
The petition filed pointed to Article 18 of the constitution. IHC had ordered other private telecom firms to present their cases by the 27th of May.
The Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) has identified 56,671 individuals who had not filed their tax returns for the year. The FBR has blocked 3600 SIMs so far.
Non-filers SIMs will be blocked manually due to the absence of machinery. Blocking will take place in groups with thousands of SIMs blocked every day.
The FBR is acting under the Tax General Order 2024.
The FBR has stated that SIMs blocked isn’t the only penalty that non-filers may face.
The government of Pakistan wishes to widen its Tax net and reduce its budget deficit.
