Government ‘considering’ tax relief on mobile phones for overseas Pakistanis

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has apprised the Senate that the government is seriously considering proposals to provide relief in the mobile phone taxes of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to overseas Pakistanis to facilitate expatriates visiting their country.

Responding to a supplementary question raised by Abid Sher Ali of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) during the Question-Hour, the minister said overseas Pakistanis had repeatedly demanded relaxation in PTA taxes on mobile phones during their conventions held in Pakistan.

He said mobile phones brought from abroad remained functional for a limited period of a few weeks, after which services were suspended unless the prescribed PTA tax was paid.

The minister said different tax rates had been fixed for different mobile phone models, and the issue of easing the burden on overseas Pakistanis was currently under serious consideration by the government.

The development comes weeks after the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Tax Policy Unit to consider rationalisation of duty and taxes on imported mobile phones in the upcoming budget for 2026-27.