Order to stop government from blocking phone SIMs of non-filers

The Islamabad High Court stopped the government from blocking mobile phone SIMs of tax non-filers.

A hearing was held in the High Court on the petition of a private mobile company against blocking mobile phone SIMs of non-filers.

Salman Akram Raja Advocate, the lawyer of the private mobile phone company, argued that the amendment in the law is against the fundamental right to freedom of business in Article 18 of the Constitution.

Also read: Decision to deduct Rs 90 out of 100 tax on mobile balance of non-filers

He said that the government cannot get the authority to block people’s mobile phone SIMs by amending the law, if more than 5 lakh SIMs of mobile phone companies are blocked, there will be a loss of 100 crore rupees annually.

Chief Justice Amir Farooq issued an injunction till May 27 on the request of a private mobile company. The court issued notice to other parties including FBR and PTA and sought their response.

It should be noted that on the instructions of the government, the telecom companies have so far blocked the SIMs of more than eleven and a half thousand non-filers, while warning messages have been sent to fifteen thousand non-filers to block their SIMs. FBR says that if the non-filers are not registered by May 15, action will be taken against these companies.