Islamabad High Court halts SIM Blocking for Non-Filers

The Islamabad High Court has issued a temporary injunction, halting the federal government’s plan to block the SIM cards of over 500,000 non-filers nationwide. The court has served notice to the government, scheduling the next hearing for May 27, 2024.

The injunction was issued by IHC Chief Justice Aamir Fariiq in response to a writ petition filed by a prominent telecom operator. The petition challenged Clause 114-B of the Income Tax Ordinance and the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Income Tax General Orders regarding non-filers.

Read more: FBR Plans To Deactivate SIM Cards For Non Filers Nationwide

The petitioner argued that the tax regulator’s newly granted authority violated the fundamental right to freedom of business as enshrined in Article 18 of the Constitution. He contended that the government lacked the constitutional power to block individuals’ phones and deemed it coercive.

Moreover, the petitioner cautioned that if enforced, this law could pave the way for the government to deprive citizens of services in other business sectors as well.

This development follows recent pressure from the government, resulting in most telecom operators agreeing to commence the manual blocking of SIM cards in smaller batches until the full automation of the system is achieved.

Last week, telecom operators began sending messages to non-filers, notifying them of the impending SIM card blockage for informational purposes.