The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and telecom operators to deactivate mobile SIMs belonging to over 500,000 individuals who have failed to file their tax returns.
Last month, the FBR failed to enforce the Income Tax General Order aimed at disabling SIMs of individuals not appearing on the active taxpayer list but obligated to file tax returns for Tax Year 2023 as per the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
According to an FBR spokesperson, despite being eligible to file returns, these individuals have neglected their tax obligations.
However, telecom operators have declined to comply with the request, citing concerns about maintaining a balance between FBR’s objective of SIM deactivation and safeguarding their investments.
How to check if you are on FBR SIM block list?
Individuals can check whether they are on the FBR’s SIM block list by downloading the PDF available on this FBR’s official link and then by using either their CNIC or name to search. They can use Ctrl+F or the ‘find’ button in their respective devices to enter their full name or CNIC for status verification.
Notably, while notices were issued to 2.4 million individuals, action is currently targeted at 506,000 in the initial phase. Each individual may possess multiple SIM cards, all of which will be terminated promptly.