FBR forms a joint working group with Jazz, Telenor, and Ufone to block SIMs of ‘Non-Filers’

FBR along with three main telecom operators formed an 18-member group that will manually block the SIMs of non-filers, to increase the tax base.

FBR finally ended the deadlock after constituting the group after the meeting of Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb with representatives of telecom operators on May 12.

However, one of the telecom operators, Zong, moved the Islamabad High Court against the Income Tax General Order No 1 (ITGO-No1), which required all operators to block SIMs of non-filers.

The Joint Working Group (JWG) has representat­ives from the Pakistan Teleco­m­munication Authority (PTA), Ufone, Telenor Pakistan, and Jazz. However, Zong has no representation on the JWG, according to the FBR notification issued on Friday.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday clarified that it had not stopped the FBR/ government from blocking the SIMs (Subscriber Identity Modules) tax non-filers.

Islamabad High Court’s previous order had only stopped the action against the mobile company, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq observed while hearing the appeal of Federation against the stay order against blockage of SIM cards.

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Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the court.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked what action would be taken against a child if he was using a SIM card issued in his father’s name who was not a taxpayer.

Similarly, what a poor working man, who was not a taxpayer, would do if his SIM card was blocked, he added.