ISLAMABAD: A post circulating on social media, garnering nearly two million views, claimed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has waived off taxes on imported mobile phones. However, this claim has been debunked as false.
Claim:
On May 22, a social media user on X, previously known as Twitter, posted: “Good news, PTA has ended the tax it charged on mobile phones that are brought into the country from other countries. A notification has also been issued in this regard.” The post received over 113,600 views, 2,700 likes, and 500 reposts.
Similar claims were also shared and went viral on other accounts.
Fact:
Both the PTA and the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR) have refuted the claim, stating that no such decision has been made.
Malahat Obaid, the PTA spokesperson, labeled the online claims as “fake.” She clarified that the only tax exemption in place, initiated by former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in July last year, pertains to a 120-day tax-free registration for mobile phones exclusively for Pakistanis residing abroad. This policy remains in effect, and no further instructions have been issued by the FBR to remove taxes for phone registration.
Bakhtiar Muhammad, the FBR spokesperson, also denied the claim and said that there have been no changes to the taxes on imported phones. He emphasized that the tax rates remain unchanged, debunking any rumors of tax waivers on mobile phone imports.
