In Islamabad, telecom companies have blocked over 9,000 SIM cards belonging to non-filers, following instructions from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
An FBR spokesperson stated that a meeting was held with mobile phone companies, during which the FBR communicated the government’s decision to block the SIMs of non-filers, emphasizing the necessity of implementation.
Previously, the FBR had begun conducting physical inspections of telecom companies’ records that failed to report on the blocking of non-filers’ SIMs. Non-compliant telecom companies faced fines and potential prosecution. Inspection orders were issued by the Commissioner Inland Revenue Zone Four under Section 175 of the Income Tax Ordinance.
Sources report that on Wednesday, an FBR team inspected the office of a telecom company in Blue Area, Islamabad. During this inspection, company officials provided a compliance report confirming that the SIMs of non-filers had been blocked, and notifications had been sent to those affected.
According to officials, the FBR had directed the principal officers of three telecom companies to submit their reports by May 21. The fourth telecom company had obtained a court injunction regarding the matter.
