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Over 9000 SIMs blocked amid crackdown against non-filers

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Digital Desk

2 years ago

ISLAMABAD: More than 9,000 SIMs of the non-filers have been blocked all over Pakistan as per the directives of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), a spokesperson of the FBR said on Wednesday.

According to a spokesperson, in a meeting, FBR informed the telecommunication companies about the decision to block SIMs to curb tax evasion on Tuesday.

“The decision has been made by parliament, therefore, the government’s decision should be implemented in any case,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources said that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has distanced itself from the matter of SIM’s blocking saying that it did not have the authority to block the SIMs.

Earlier, two telecom companies blocked another 3,500 SIMs of non-filers on Tuesday, the FBR spokesperson said. He further stated that the SIMs of those who file the tax returns will be unblocked immediately.

The FBR spokesperson said one telecom company had obtained an injunction from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated that the decision of the federal government about blocking the SIMs of non-fillers remained in effect as the injunction of the court was not related to blocking the SIMs of non-fillers.

Chief Justice Amir Farooq Malik of the IHC heard the case against the federal government’s decision to block the SIMs of non-filers.

At the onset of the hearing, the chief justice clarified that the stay order was solely to safeguard the petitioner and that the injunction was not to block the SIMs. Therefore, the decision of the federal government was still in effect.

Digital Desk