The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has urged the government to review the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) recent order to block the cellular phone SIMs of those who did not file their tax returns for 2023, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
According to sources, the PTA officials, in a letter written to FBR, said that it is not legally bound to implement the SIM blocking order and that SIM blocking is incompatible with our framework.
The PTA rejecting the FBR’s request to ban SIMs asked the FBR to suggest adopting another course of action.
The PTA officials cautioned that blocking mobile phone SIMs will have a negative impact on the telecom sector. The move not only affects the banking sector but also opens a window of litigation against the organization.
The PTA said in the letter that only 27 percent of women in Pakistan use sims drawn in their own names and the remaining women and children use sims in the names of male family members.
PTA added that banning SIMs will also affect e-commerce and transactions.
The PTA officials added that There is a dire need for consultation on the issue of blocking mobile phone SIMs.
It said that the protection of mobile phone companies and users is essential.