Telecom operators have taken action by blocking the mobile SIMs of approximately 9,000 individuals who have not filed their taxes, following directives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
According to a spokesperson from the FBR, this measure has been expedited, with telecom companies receiving updated data daily for the purpose of blocking SIMs.
It has been revealed that the FBR has already provided data for around 30,000 individuals whose SIMs are earmarked for blocking.
However, the spokesperson acknowledged that there is still a substantial number of approximately 506,671 individuals who have not filed their Income Tax Return for Tax Year 2023 but are obligated to do so.
Initially, telecom operators were hesitant to execute this directive, citing various legal concerns. Nevertheless, they eventually consented to manually block SIMs in smaller batches.
The FBR had issued an Income Tax General Order (ITGO) in late April, instructing the disabling of mobile phone SIMs belonging to over half a million individuals not appearing on the active taxpayer list.
At the time of issuance, telecom companies were directed to furnish a compliance report by May 15 regarding this matter.
